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diff --git a/43345-0.txt b/43345-0.txt index fe84608..109b618 100644 --- a/43345-0.txt +++ b/43345-0.txt @@ -1,43 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Other World; or, Glimpses of the -Supernatural (Vol. I of II), by Various - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Other World; or, Glimpses of the Supernatural (Vol. I of II) - Being Facts, Records, and Traditions Relating to Dreams, - Omens, Miraculous Occurrences, Apparitions, Wraiths, - Warnings, Second-sight, Witchcraft, Necromancy, etc. - -Author: Various - -Editor: Frederick George Lee - -Release Date: July 29, 2013 [EBook #43345] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OTHER WORLD, VOL I *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43345 *** GLIMPSES OF THE SUPERNATURAL. @@ -8090,360 +8051,4 @@ Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Other World; or, Glimpses of the Supernatural (Vol. I of II) - Being Facts, Records, and Traditions Relating to Dreams, - Omens, Miraculous Occurrences, Apparitions, Wraiths, - Warnings, Second-sight, Witchcraft, Necromancy, etc. - -Author: Various - -Editor: Frederick George Lee - -Release Date: July 29, 2013 [EBook #43345] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OTHER WORLD, VOL I *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - - -GLIMPSES OF THE SUPERNATURAL. - - - - - The Other World; - - OR, GLIMPSES OF THE SUPERNATURAL. - - BEING FACTS, RECORDS, AND TRADITIONS - - - RELATING TO DREAMS, OMENS, MIRACULOUS OCCURRENCES, - APPARITIONS, WRAITHS, WARNINGS, SECOND-SIGHT, - WITCHCRAFT, NECROMANCY, ETC. - - - EDITED BY - THE REV. FREDERICK GEORGE LEE, D.C.L. - _Vicar of All Saints', Lambeth._ - - - IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. - - - HENRY S. KING AND CO., LONDON. - 1875. - - - - -(_All rights reserved._) - - - - - TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE - AUGUSTA, - COUNTESS OF STRADBROKE, - OF HENHAM HALL, IN THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, - THESE VOLUMES - ARE, - BY HER LADYSHIP'S KIND PERMISSION, - VERY RESPECTFULLY - Dedicated. - - - - -"It is often asked--Do you believe in Prophecies and Miracles? Yes and no, -one may answer; that depends. In general, yes; doubtless we believe in -them, and are not of the number of those who 'pique themselves,' as -Fénelon said, 'on rejecting as fables, without examination, all the -wonders that God works.' But if you come to the particular, and say--Do -you believe in such a revelation, such an apparition, such a cure?--here -it is that it behoves us not to forget the rules of Christian prudence, -nor the warnings of Holy Writ, nor the teaching of Theologians and Saints, -nor, finally, the decrees of Councils, and the motives of those decrees. -Has the proper Authority spoken? If it has spoken, let us bow with all the -respect due to grave and mature ecclesiastical judgments, even where they -are not clothed with infallible authority; if it has not spoken, let us -not be of those who reject everything in a partizan spirit, and want to -impose this unbelief upon everybody; nor of those who admit everything -lightly, and want alike to impose their belief; let us be careful in -discussing a particular fact, not to reject the very principle of the -Supernatural, but neither let us shut our eyes to the evidence of -testimony; let us be prudent, even to the most careful scrutiny--the -subject-matter requires it, the Scriptures recommend it--but let us not be -sceptics; let us be sincere, but not fanatical: that is the true mean. And -let us not forget that most often the safest way in these matters is not -to hurry one's judgment, not to decide sharply and affirm absolutely--in a -word, not to anticipate, in one sense or the other, the judgment of those -whose place and mission it is to examine herein; but to await, in the -simplicity of faith and of Christian wisdom, a decision which marks out a -wise rule, although not always with absolute certainty."--Dupanloup, -Bishop of Orleans, "On Contemporary Prophecies." - - - - -PREFACE. - - -These volumes have been compiled from the standing-point of a hearty and -reverent believer in Historical Christianity. No one can be more fully -aware of their imperfections and incompleteness than the Editor; for the -subjects under consideration occupy such a broad field, that their -treatment at greater length would have largely increased the bulk of the -volumes, and indefinitely postponed their publication. - -The facts and records set forth (and throughout, the Editor has dealt with -facts, rather than with theories) have been gathered from time to time -during the past twenty years, as well from ordinary historical narrations -as from the personal information of several friends and acquaintances -interested in the subject-matter of the book. The materials thus brought -together from so many quarters have been carefully sifted, and those only -made use of as would best assist in the arranged method of the volume, and -suffice for its suitable illustration. - -The Editor regrets that, in the publication of so many recent examples of -the Supernatural (about fifty), set forth for the first time in the -following pages, the names of the persons to whom those examples occurred, -and in some cases those likewise who supplied him with them, are withheld. - -The truth is, there is such a sensitive dislike of publicity and of rude -criticism consequent upon publicity, that very many persons shrink from -the ordeal. However, it may be sufficient to state that the Editor holds -himself personally responsible for all those here recorded, which are not -either details of received History, or formally authenticated by the names -and addresses of those who have supplied him with them. - -Many examples of the Supernatural in modern times and in the present day -are here published for the first time, in an authoritative and complete -form. - -By the kind courtesy of Lord Lyttelton, the family records of a remarkable -apparition, which is said to have been seen by his noble ancestor, were -placed at the Editor's disposal, and, by his Lordship's permission, are in -the following pages now first set forth in detail and at length. - -The Editor is also indebted to the following, either for obliging replies -to his inquiries, or for information which has been embodied in the -succeeding pages:--The late Lady Brougham, the late Rev. W. -Hastings-Kelke, of Drayton Beauchamp; A. L. M. P. de Lisle, Esq., of -Garendon Park; the Very Rev. A. Weld, S.J.; the Right Rev. Monsignor -Patterson, D.D., of S. Edmund's College, Ware; the Rev. J. Jefferson, -M.A., of North Stainley Vicarage, near Ripon; the Very Rev. E. J. -Purbrick, S.J., of Stonyhurst College; the Rev. John Richardson, B.A., of -Warwick; Henry Cope Caulfeild, Esq., M.A., of Clone House, S. Leonard's; -the Rev. Theodore J. Morris; Mrs. George Lee; the Rev. H. N. Oxenham, -M.A.; Miss S. F. Caulfeild; Dominick Browne, Esq. (Dytchley); Captain -Lowrie, of York; Mr. C. J. Sneath, of Birmingham; and many others. - -If there be anything set forth in this volume, in ignorance or -misconception, contradictory to the general teaching of the Universal -Church, the Editor puts on record here his regret for having penned it, -and his desire altogether to withdraw such error. - -F. G. L. - - All Saints' Vicarage, - York Road, Lambeth. - - - - -CONTENTS OF VOL. I. - - - Page - - CHAPTER I. - - INTRODUCTORY.--Materialism of the present age 1 - - CHAPTER II. - - The Miraculous in Church History 21 - - CHAPTER III. - - Spiritual Powers and Properties of the Church.-- - Sacraments.--Sacramentals.--Exorcism 51 - - CHAPTER IV. - - Witchcraft and Necromancy 149 - - CHAPTER V. - - Dreams, Omens, Warnings, Presentiments, and Second Sight 207 - - - - -MATERIALISM OF THE PRESENT AGE. - - -"In some sense of the Supernatural, in some faith in the Unseen, in some -feeling that man is not of this World, in some grasp on the Eternal God, -and on an eternal supernatural and supersensuous life, lies the basis of -all pity and mercy, all help, and comfort, and patience, and sympathy -among men. Set these aside, commit us only to the Natural, to what our -eyes see and our hands handle, and, while we may organize Society -scientifically, and live according to 'the laws of Nature,' and be very -philosophical and very liberal, we are standing on the ground on which -every savage tribe stands, or indeed on which every pack of wolves -gallops." - - - - -GLIMPSES OF THE SUPERNATURAL. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -INTRODUCTORY.--MATERIALISM OF THE PRESENT AGE. - - -To any sincere and hearty believer in Historical Christianity the advance -of Materialism and the consequent denial of the Supernatural must be the -cause both of alarm and sadness. The few lead, the many follow; and it is -frequently the case that conclusions contrarient to the idea of the -Supernatural are arrived at, after a course of reasoning, which -conclusions appear to many wholly unjustified, either by the premisses -adopted, or from the argument that has ensued. - -It has been stated, in a serial of some ability,[1] that the final issue -of the present conflict between so that things are necessarily different -to what they would have been if he had not thus acted, and no disturbance -nor dislocation of the system around him ensues as a consequence of such -action, surely He Who contrived the system in question can subsequently -interpose both in the natural and spiritual order of the world. For to -deny this possibility is obviously to place God on a lower level than man; -in other words, to make the Creator of all things weaker and less free -than His own creatures. - -Now, to go a step further, all human efforts to find out God have been the -result of the combination of ideas gleaned from human experience. These -ideas have often enough been grotesque, fanciful, and distorted--a -judgment which will be admitted to be accurate by all Christian people; -whether the gross conceptions of Pagan mythology or the nebulous -speculations of modern "thinkers" are brought under consideration. That -man, the created, cannot understand God the Creator--that the thing made -cannot compass the Maker--is not only perfectly certain, but necessary. -The being of God cannot be grasped by a finite intellect; nor can such an -intellect conceive the mode of an existence absolutely and utterly removed -from created conditions. Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent: we -cannot attain unto it.[2] - -But though it may be, and is, utterly impossible to conceive Almighty -God, it is anything but impossible to conceive the fact and reality of His -being. For, as is well known, the general thought and conscience of -mankind have believed in a God, _semper et ubique_, everywhere and at all -times. Thus a thing may exist, and its existence may be perfectly patent -to the understanding; and furthermore its existence may be worthy of -implicit belief; while, at the same time, the thing itself may be found to -transcend and overpass the limited powers of man's intellect. Take, for -example, the ideas conveyed by the terms "eternal"[3] and "infinite." Who -can comprehend them? Who can explain them? Ordinary popular conceptions -make them mere indefinite extensions of duration and space; yet these -conceptions need not and do not appear absurd, but, on the contrary, -enable ideas, at once definite, distinct, and recognizable, to be conveyed -from man to man. - -Thus, by a simple process of thought, we may see for ourselves the place -and propriety of a Revelation, and appreciate the truth of the -Supernatural. Here, in the province of a Revelation, not man's conception -of God, but God Himself is set forth. Not so unlike ourselves is He that -we find Him, with will, actions, and purposes, unintelligible; but, using -analogies gathered and systematized by experience, we learn, at the same -time, that our Creator is beyond the range both of thought and -language--never to be fully known, until, with divinely-illuminated -faculties in a higher state, we see Him face to face. - -And when we have attained to this point in our course of thought, the -first leading fact of God's revelation meets us. Here it is: "There is but -one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of -infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker and Preserver of all -things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be -three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: the Father, the Son, -and the Holy Ghost."[4] - -Now in this revelation, given in its fullness by the Eternal Word, and -bequeathed to the Christian Church, to be preserved and handed down for -future generations, all is Supernatural. That body of doctrine which -Christians believe, divinely guarded by the Church, was announced -beforehand, centuries ere it was actually delivered, by a wisdom above -nature--the divine light of prophecy. When it was set forth by the Eternal -Word, its truth was attested in the face of a hostile people by a power -above nature, whose word Creation obeyed, as in regularity, so in marked -and palpable change. This body of doctrine or gospel put forth a -supernatural power in the strange rapidity and manifest success with which -it subdued hearts to itself. Ancient Rome owned the Crucified as a Monarch -conquering and to conquer. His Revelation, of the truth of which there -shall be witnesses unto the end, is above nature, in that it alone -provides adequate remedies for the manifold infirmities of the human race. -The life it produces here is supernatural, as are also the means by which -that life is created, and the efficient gifts by which it is being -constantly renewed. Supernatural, too, is the work of the Holy Ghost, -wrought out by human agents and human instrumentality; changing, -sanctifying, illuminating; shadowing forth by its action the reunion of -earth with heaven, of man with God, only to be completed and made perfect -in the life to come. - -Now the purport of this volume is to show by examples of supernatural -intervention--examples many of which have been gathered from quite recent -periods--that Almighty God, from time to time, in various ways and by -different human instruments, still condescendingly reveals to man glimpses -of the world unseen, and shows the existence of that life beyond the -grave, in which the sceptic and materialist of the present restless age -would have us disbelieve, and which they themselves scornfully reject. - -From the sure and solid standing-point of Historical Christianity, -believing Holy Scripture to be the Word of God, and the Christian Church -to be the divinely-formed corporation for instructing, guiding, and -illuminating mankind, remarkable examples of the Supernatural, miracles, -spectral appearances of departed spirits, providential warnings by dreams -and otherwise, the intervention and ministry of good angels, the assaults -of bad, the certain power and efficacy of the gifts of Holy Church, the -sanctity of consecrated places, and the persevering malignity of the devil -and his legions, are gathered together, and set forth in the pages to -follow. For it may reasonably be believed that, as Almighty God has -graciously vouchsafed to intervene in the affairs of mankind in ages long -past, so there has never been a period in which such merciful intervention -has not from time to time taken place. Granted that in the days of Moses -and Aaron, and of Elijah and Elisha, man owned miraculous powers, and -wrought wonders by the gift of God; granted that in dreams and visions the -will of the Most High was sometimes made known to favoured individuals of -the Jewish Dispensation; remembering the miracles of our Lord's apostles -and disciples, and bearing in mind the divine and supernatural powers -which were first entrusted to, and have been ever since exercised by, the -Catholic Church, it is at once unreasonable and unphilosophical to deny -the existence in the world of the supernatural and miraculous. As will be -abundantly set forth, their presence and energy are in perfect accord and -harmony with the universal experience of mankind. Sceptics may contemn and -object, materialists may scoff; but numerous facts as well as a very -general sentiment are against their conclusions and convictions. - -Floating straws show the direction and force of a current. As an example -of the lengths to which an adoption of the materialistic principle will -lead some persons, who regard themselves as "philosophers," and as a -specimen of the dangers which threaten us, it may be well to refer briefly -to the proposal which has recently been formally and publicly made, viz., -that in certain cases of hopeless disease or imbecile old age, physicians -should be legally authorized to put an end to such patients by poison. - -Thus, when the head of a family becomes old or borders on childishness, -the son, by going through the proposed legal formality, may stand by and -witness the poisoning of his father, and so enter on the possession of his -property. When a mother becomes old, the daughter may assist in a similar -manner at her mother's death. A crippled child, a weak-minded relation, an -infirm member of the family, according to the "philosophers," should have -a poisonous drug efficiently administered; that so the weak, crippled, or -imbecile might be murdered and put out of the way. Thus these -philosopher-fanatics assure us that "the natural law of the preservation -of the fittest," propounded by them, will come into active and unchecked -operation. Having warned us that the penalty we endure for ignoring this -"law" is a population largely composed of weak, unhealthy, poor and -suffering people, they now earnestly recommend a "scientific method," by -which the lame, the blind, the weak, and the imbecile should be cleared -off from the stage of life.[5] "Natural selection," would, unchecked and -never opposed, have preserved alive only the best and noblest types; and -as, they tell us in their infallible wisdom, this principle or law has -developed us so far from the mollusk to the man, it might by this time, -had it been carefully and faithfully applied, have developed us, if not -into angels, at least into nineteenth-century savages of great muscular -power. This is the odious message to mankind which naturalistic -Materialism announces. And if we confine ourselves to what is sometimes -called "science"--that is, exclusive knowledge of things material--such a -conclusion as that arrived at, and such degrading principles as those -propounded for acceptance and practice, may not be altogether -unreasonable.[6] In this kind of "science" there is little else but -coldness, cruelty, and savagery. Only the strong have a right to live. The -weak were born to have their life trampled out, and, according to this -newly-revived theory, the sooner it is done the better. The murder of the -lame, the halt, and the blind, therefore, becomes thoroughly scientific, -and follows as a matter of course. Its practice is based upon laws which -the materialists have been for some time proclaiming to be "supreme." If -there be no supernatural basis of life, if the supernatural have no real -existence, if man be of the earth earthy, if he be only an outgrowth of -the dumb forces of matter (the first article of the creed of these -"philosophers"), if he be governed solely and altogether, absolutely and -completely by an inexorable material law (the highest and the only law, -as they would have us believe), then, of course, their conclusion -inevitably follows--that it is both merciful and wise to put a man out of -his misery when he becomes a burden both to himself and his friends. There -is no place in the lofty and elevating system of Naturalism for a being -who cannot take care of himself. - -Again: while Scepticism is rampant, and some are endeavouring to bring -back the Pagan notions of ancient nations, to galvanize into new life the -corrupt imbecilities of the past, men of science are making assertions and -assumptions of the boldest, if not of the wildest nature. One such -recently maintained the following proposition:--"Taking our earth, we -_know_ that millions of years have passed since she began to be peopled." -Now, the maintainer of this assertion notoriously holds some peculiar -theories about the means by which the solar system (and consequently other -systems) was made, or rather grew. These theories, in some of their -details, are or may be founded upon certain more or less well-ascertained -facts. But when he uses the term "know," we are bold to point out that -such an assertion rests on mere assumption.[7] We need facts,--facts -which could stand the careful investigation of persons skilled in taking -and measuring evidence; and secondly, we require to be reasonably -convinced that no other possible explanation of a difficulty be -forthcoming, except that on which his assumption is founded and his -inevitable conclusion (as he regards it) deduced. But how often with -scientific people the phrase "We know" stands for "This is our theory," or -rather "This is our _present_ theory;" for scientific theories change very -frequently; and points which have been most dogmatically laid down at one -period have been with equal dogmatism condemned and repudiated at another, -by those who apparently strain every nerve and exercise every gift -bestowed upon them, to deny and cast out the Supernatural from amongst -mankind. - -From the introduction to a volume of great interest ("The Maxims and -Examples of the Saints"), the following extract is taken, both because of -its inherent truth, and also because the Christian instinct in defence of -the Supernatural is so prominently and forcibly expressed in every line. -Mr. de Lisle's words stand thus:-- - -"In these days of shallowness and scepticism, men pride themselves on -calling everything into question, as if they proved their claim to wisdom -according to the measure of their unbelief. But those who dive a little -deeper into things will not be so ready to admit the claims of modern -insolent writers. They will find that our ancestors had heads as sound, -judgments as cool and unprejudiced, at least, as any of these moderns; and -the more they examine, the more reasons will they find for attaching -weight to their testimony. In my intercourse abroad with divers holy -priests and religious monks, I have seen and heard enough to convince me -that many things take place in this world of a supernatural order. Nor do -I believe there ever has been a period in the history of the Church, when -our Lord has not borne testimony to her divine truth, and to the admirable -sanctity of many of her children, by evident and glorious miracles. This -is the faith of the Church; and who shall gainsay the teaching of that -society that carries with it the experience of eighteen centuries, the -immutable promises of God, the attestations of innumerable martyrs, and -the consent of nations? To him who believes the words of the holy Gospel, -'The works that I do shall they do also, and greater than these,' &c. -(speak not now to the unbeliever), the conclusion will be clear, and -humble faith will bow with submission. Keeping this promise in view, the -Christian will not find it difficult to believe even the most wonderful -histories in the lives of the Saints; at all events, his spirit will not -be that which loves to question everything, still less that which treats -the testimony of devout writers with levity or scorn. To the humble -observer of the ways of Divine Providence, enough occurs every day to -prepare him for any manifestation of the Power of God: not to say that -there is not a state in Christendom in which, even in our own times, many -wonderful miracles have not taken place. Witness the glorious appearance -of a vast cross of fire in the heavens at Migné, near Poictiers in France, -in the year 1826, in the month of December, an event which was attested on -oath before the bishop of the diocese by several thousand -eye-witnesses.[8] Josephus relates the prodigies that appeared in the -heavens before the downfall of Jerusalem: and who shall say that this -sublime apparition in France did not portend the approaching calamities -that have since fallen upon that kingdom and upon Europe? In the years -1830 and 1831, blood miraculously flowed from the arms of S. Nicholas, at -Tolentino in Italy, and the circumstance was solemnly attested by the -bishop, the clergy, and the magistrates of that city. History records -similar prodigies to have taken place at Tolentino whenever any calamities -were about to befall Christendom. S. Nicholas has been dead above 500 -years. I myself had the consolation to visit his shrine; and I heard from -several individuals, with tears in their eyes, the affecting recital of -the miracle. Who does not call to mind the wonderful manifestations of -God's power at Rome and at Ancona during the period of the French -Revolution, in the year 1792? Innumerable images of our Blessed Redeemer, -and of his Virgin Mother, were seen to move their eyes, and some even to -weep. Nor were these events seen only by a few, they were beheld and -attested by thousands.[9] The miracles that God has performed by means of -the holy Prince Hohenlohe are known to all, and some of them have been -wrought even in England. These are facts so notorious, that no one can -call them in question; nor is it in the power of profane ridicule to throw -doubt over their authenticity. At the same time, it will always be true -that the Catholic Church does not oblige her children to believe any -miracles but those recorded in the sacred Scriptures; she leaves it to -the discretion of each individual to ground his conviction on the -evidence which has come before him; though it would not be an act of -piety, or worthy of praise for anyone to speak lightly of such miracles as -have been honoured by the approbation of the Holy See." - - * * * * * - -As a mark of rapid theological decline, it may here be put on record, that -a recent writer, the author of "Supernatural Religion: an Inquiry into the -Reality of Divine Revelation" (Longman: 1874), sets forth his "views" (not -his "opinion," least of all his faith, but his "views") as follows:-- - -"The importance which has been attached to theology by the Christian -Church, almost from its foundation, has been subversive of Christian -morality. _In surrendering its miraculous element and its claims to -supernatural origin, therefore, the religion of Jesus does not lose its -virtue, or the qualities which have made it a blessing to humanity._ It -sacrifices none of that elevated character which has distinguished and -raised it above all human systems: _it merely relinquishes a claim which -it has shared with all antecedent religions, and severs its connection -with ignorant superstition_. It is too divine in its morality to require -the aid of miraculous attributes. No supernatural halo can heighten its -spiritual beauty, and no mysticism deepen its holiness. In its perfect -simplicity it is sublime, and in its profound wisdom it is eternal. - -"_We gain infinitely more than we lose in abandoning belief in the reality -of Divine revelation._ Whilst we retain pure and unimpaired the treasure -of Christian morality, we relinquish nothing but the debasing elements -added to it by human superstition. _We are no longer bound to believe a -theology which outrages reason and moral sense._ We are freed from base -anthropomorphic views of God and His government of the universe; and from -Jewish theology we rise to higher conceptions of an infinitely wise and -beneficent Being, hidden from our finite minds, it is true, in the -impenetrable glory of Divinity, but whose laws of wondrous -comprehensiveness and perfection we ever perceive in operation around us. -_We are no longer disturbed by visions of fitful interference with the -order of Nature_, but we recognize that the Being who regulates the -universe is without variableness or shadow of turning. It is singular how -little there is in the supposed revelation of alleged information, however -incredible, regarding that which is beyond the limits of human thought; -but that little is of a character which reason declares to be the 'wildest -delusion.' Let no man, whose belief in the reality of Divine Revelation -may be destroyed by such inquiry, complain that he has lost a precious -possession, and that nothing is left but a blank. _The revelation not -being a reality_, that which he has lost was but an illusion, and that -which is left is the truth." - -In another volume recently written by Mr. Congreve, the Positivist, the -author maintains in the plainest possible language, what is the immediate -and practical object of the small sect to which he has allied -himself:--"The professed servants of Humanity must lead in the struggle to -eliminate God; and that this is the essential element in the whole -existing perplexity is forcing itself upon all." Again, man's duty is said -to be "openly and avowedly to take service in one or the other of the -opposing camps; to bring face to face the two beliefs; the belief in the -Past, the belief in God, and the belief in the Future, the belief in -Humanity; and to choose deliberately between them." Furthermore, he avers: -"We contemplate the Trinity of our religion, Humanity, the World, and -Space." A Christian critic has made the following terse comments on Mr. -Congreve's book:-- - -"The chief feeling which possesses us in reading these Essays is one of -sorrow for the writer. It is really sad that a man of education should -lend himself to such a delusion. The 'Religion' itself is ridiculous; -indeed it has not so much as a theory. Not even on paper can its doctrines -be stated, for the simple reason that it has no doctrines whatever. But -it is always melancholy to watch a naturally good intellect under the sway -of a fantastic idea, or to see an educated gentleman writing 500 pages on -the 'Worship' of what does not exist. The sensation of the reader, as he -turns page after page, is expressed in such an inquiry as this: Since the -writer himself believes in nothing whatever, how can he invite my -conversion?" - - - - -THE MIRACULOUS IN CHURCH HISTORY. - - -"And He said unto them, Go ye into all the World, and preach the Gospel to -every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he -that believeth not shall be damned. - -"And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My Name shall they -cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up -serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they -shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover."--_S. Mark_ xvi. -15-18. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE MIRACULOUS IN CHURCH HISTORY. - - -The important subject of the Miraculous in Church History sufficiently -well known to students of it, involves the existence of a religious -principle of universal application. This will be apparent, in due course, -from the following preliminary considerations:--"A miracle," writes Hume, -"is a violation of the laws of Nature; and, as a firm and unalterable -experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle is as -entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined."[10] -Further on, he declares "that a miracle supported by any human testimony -is more properly a subject of derision than of argument."[11] On these -statements, definite and precise as they appear, and yet not sufficiently -definite, it may be remarked in the first place that no human experience -is unalterable: it may to a certain person or certain persons have been -hitherto unaltered. But this is all. Are there then no facts beyond our -experience--no natural positions or states with which we are unacquainted? -When a man writes of "unalterable experience," he obviously means so much -of that experience, as either mediately or immediately has come to his -knowledge; in other words his own past experience.[12] And this Hume -declares sufficient to enable him to determine what are the unvarying laws -of Nature, and, by consequence, what are miracles. But surely here is -something akin to arrogance. For what modest person would venture to -maintain his own experience to be altogether and absolutely firm and -unalterable? Who would declare of a witness, who testified, for example, -what was contrary to that experience, that such a man was worthy only of -disbelief and derision? And yet many, in the present day, adopt and put -into practice this unstable and imperfect theory of Hume. - -What has been set forth above in opposition to that theory is still more -pointedly expressed in the following remarkable passage: - -"The natural philosopher when he imagines a physical impossibility which -is not an inconceiveability, merely states that his phenomenon is against -all that has been hitherto known of the course of Nature. Before he can -compass an impossibility, he has a huge postulate to ask of his reader or -hearer, a postulate which Nature never taught: it is that the Future is -always to agree with the Past. How do you know that this sequence of -phenomena always will be? Answer, Because it must be. But how do you know -that it must be? Answer, Because it always has been. But then, even -granting that it always has been, how do you know that what always has -been always will be? Answer, I see my mind compelled to that conclusion. -And how do you know that the leanings of your mind are always towards -truth? Because I am infallible, the answer ought to be; but this answer is -never given."[13] - -Of course no Christian will deny the following elementary propositions -here briefly stated, before the general subject is further discussed. -First that man consists of body and soul, the nobler and more important -part being the soul, which is spiritual, immortal, and eternal. God, the -Creator of all things, is a Spirit; and, in this particular, man is made -in the image of God. Destined to dwell on the earth for a while, during an -appointed period of probation, man passes by death, which is a temporary -separation of soul and body, to the life beyond the grave. Man's duty -here, therefore, ought to fit and prepare him for a future state, and -teach him better the value of his soul and the reality of the -Supernatural. - -Now the Almighty, in calling man into being here, and making him "lord of -the whole earth," giving him, in fact, dominion over the beasts of the -field, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea, has established in -connection with him a two-fold order, the natural, which relates to the -visible world, and the Supernatural or miraculous, which concerns the -spiritual and invisible. The natural order comprises the law of nature, by -which the World created by God is governed, and concerns man in his -dealings with nature. But the Supernatural concerns him in his relations -with God and the world of spirits. Both orders are alike from God, and -each has its appointed sphere. The Author of both is the controller of -each. And, as if to indicate to man from time to time that God has -something to say in His own creation, and will not be totally excluded -from it by man's forgetfulness, the Supernatural is wisely and mercifully -interwoven with the natural, to remind man, by the Glimpses occasionally -vouchsafed of the former, that, though the World has been made for his use -and advantage, many things in it speak eloquently of a continued existence -in the future, though now the same World's fashion most surely passeth -away. How prone man becomes, by constantly contemplating the natural, to -thrust the Supernatural aside, is the experience of many. And this being -so, how merciful is God to remind us of the next world, not only by the -ordinary modes and channels appointed for so doing, by change, by -revelation, by death; but occasionally by suddenly, strangely, and -abruptly breaking in upon the usual order of events, and the ordinary -course of nature, to let us see with our natural eyes, and hear with our -ears, that He is. Thus the Supernatural indicates the tracing of the -Finger of God. Freely, and for a lofty purpose, to set forth His glory, -power, and mercy, He created the laws of nature; freely, and for a like -lofty purpose, He sometimes suspends them. Such intervention on His part, -such a suspension, is a miracle, which may be defined as "a record and -evidence of the Supernatural manifesting itself in the midst of the -natural order;" or, as S. Thomas Aquinas so clearly and ably defined it of -old, "A miracle is an act performed by God out of the ordinary course of -nature." In accepting this, we do but maintain that God alone is the -Author and Controller of all laws, whether natural or supernatural. -Historical Christianity calls upon us to believe, firstly, the great -principle that miracles are possible; and, secondly, that those recorded -in Holy Scripture, ranging from the time of Moses to that of S. John the -Divine, are true. Other miracles or miraculous interventions rest upon the -value, purport, and character of the evidence and testimony forthcoming -for their authenticity. They are all equally possible, because all are -acts of the Almighty; but they are not all equally credible, because the -evidence of their authenticity may be of a less precise, definite, and -well-authenticated character. - -To assert, as some do, that a miraculous intervention implies change or -contradiction in God, is inaccurate; for in His works surely He may -exercise that liberty which is one of His perfections. Were man's range of -vision wider than it is, the working of a miracle might be found to be, -after all, only the realization and carrying out of God's original design -and primary purpose. Again, from the point of view of another objection, -to maintain that we cannot know what a miracle is, or whether any miracle -has been ever wrought, without being acquainted with _all_ the laws of -nature, is likewise inaccurate; for we know enough, both of the natural -and supernatural, to be perfectly certain that it is out of the ordinary -course of nature for a dead man to come to life again. While, then, such a -miracle teaches us to acknowledge the power of God, it may, at the same -time, serve to let the Materialist realize his own possible ignorance of -the laws of nature. For after all there may be some hidden law, as yet -unknown, which may contradict a known law, and so modify it--a probability -which is at least deserving of the consideration of those who altogether -deny the Supernatural. - -As regards miracles, let the well-known argument of the great S. -Augustine of Hippo be considered: "Christianity," he writes, "was either -founded by miracles, or it was not. If it was, then miracles exist. If it -was not, then this is the greatest of all miracles, viz. that a religion -so radically contrarient to all human prejudices, and so much resisted by -all human influence, should, without the aid of miracles, have made its -place and assured its progress in the world." If, again, the only evidence -that a person will admit is that of his own personal experience, that he -must himself witness a miracle; that, like S. Thomas, he will maintain, -"Except I shall see ... I will not believe," has he not power of mind -enough to appreciate the fact that he is in every way unreasonable, by -demanding for himself that which he altogether refuses to admit in others? - -But, in truth, the miracles of our Blessed Lord, and more particularly the -miracle of His Resurrection, were so striking and convincing, being -testified to, both as regards their act and consequences, by so many, that -they produced both conviction and triumph. Not universally, but with a -sufficient number of persons to ensure the steady increase of the infant -Church--though the very miracles which wrought such a vast moral and -religious change, were rejected by the unbelievers of the day. - -In the Church of the primitive, as well as in later, ages, the -Supernatural was being constantly manifested. The apostles proved the -divinity of their mission by the power of their works. The miracles -recorded in the "Acts of the Apostles" were followed by others equally -marvellous and remarkable in succeeding periods--a feature that might have -been most reasonably looked for in the history of Christianity, for the -very life and spirit of the Church are supernatural.[14] Persecuted in -every age, she has risen again. After being cast down, driven from this -place in one century, she has made still greater progress elsewhere in -another. For the first three hundred years of her existence, and in the -very heart of the world's civilization, Rome, every patriarchal primate of -that Holy See died a witness to the truths of Christianity. The ordinary -supernatural powers of our Lord's first followers were duly inherited by -those formally set apart to fill their place and office. Men freely -testified to what they had seen and heard. As occasion seemed to need it, -the divine power was duly manifested in outward, notable, and noted -acts,--to the truth and reality of which even Profane History has -abundantly witnessed. - -While in the records of the Christian Church there is an almost constant -tradition of miraculous facts. The tale of every century is rife with -them. They were to have been anticipated, because He had spoken Whose Word -shall never fail, and His promise seems to have been always remembered: -"Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I -do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I -go unto My Father."[15] Consequently it is found that many of the later -miracles, those termed "ecclesiastical," in distinction to scriptural, are -even more remarkable than those wrought by our Blessed Lord Himself--a -fact which, instead of deserving ridicule and contempt, merits, from -persons of a Christian habit of mind, patient consideration, and a -careful, if not a ready, acceptance. For in such the faithful will only -perceive a perfect realization of their Master's divine pledge. - -To take a notable example of the miraculous occurring towards the close of -the second century (A.D. 174), testified to, as far as the fact of the -miracle is concerned, by at least four independent Pagan writers, -Dionysius Cassius, Julius Capitolinus, Ælius Lampridius, and Claudian. - -Eusebius, in his "Ecclesiastical History,"[16] puts on record the -following account of a most remarkable event:[17]--"It is said that when -Marcus Aurelius Cæsar was forming his troops in order of battle against -the Germans and Sarmatians, he was reduced to extremities by a failure of -water. Meanwhile the soldiers in the so-called 'Melitene legion,' which -for its faith remains to this day, knelt down upon the ground, as we are -accustomed to do, in prayer, and betook themselves to supplication. And -whereas this sight was strange to the enemy, another still more strange -happened immediately--thunderbolts which caused the enemy's flight and -overthrow; and upon the army to which the men were attached, who had -called upon God, a rain, which restored it entirely when it was all but -perishing by thirst." This fact had been previously put on record by -Claudius Apollinaris,[18] Bishop of Hierapolis, in his "Apology for -Christianity," addressed about the year 176 to the Emperor Marcus. -Tertullian, about fifteen years later, affirms the truth of the same fact -when addressing the Proconsul of Africa. Each of these writers gives point -to the narrative, the first by recording that henceforth the term -"Thundering Legion" was applied to that in which the Christian soldiers -had prayed: the second by his statement that the Emperor had, in -consequence, promulgated an edict in favour of the Christians. It is clear -from Eusebius, likewise, that the Pagans acknowledged the miracle, as they -could not fail to do, wrought as it was in the presence of so many; but, -of course, they denied that it was to be attributed to the prayers of the -Christians. Julius Capitolinus attributed it to the prayers of the -Emperor;[19] Dionysius Cassius to the operations of Arnuphis, an Egyptian -magician.[20] A record of the unquestioned fact, however, is sculptured on -the Antonine column at Rome;[21] a medal, struck the very year of the -occurrence, likewise commemorates the event. Here, then, we find on record -an occurrence which ordinary people will call a miracle; here we obtain a -distinct example of the Supernatural. In answer to the prayers of certain -Roman soldiers, sons and servants of the Crucified, palpable benefits are -vouchsafed, and marvellous deliverances effected. The foe is destroyed, -and they are rescued. And this fact is testified to by Pagans worthy of -credit as well as by Christians, and is put on record in the modes already -set forth. - -Another example, the appearance of a luminous Cross to Constantine (A.D. -312), must here be given, because of its inherent importance; because the -testimony to its having occurred before so many is very general; and -because the moral and religious changes consequent upon it, results that -both immediately and eventually followed, have been at once great and -notorious:-- - -The conversion of the Roman empire, in the person of its head, was the -most remarkable event in the early pages of Christian history. -"Constantine's submission of his power to the Church," writes Dr. Newman, -"has been a pattern for all Christian monarchs since, and the -commencement of our state establishment to this day; and, on the other -hand, the fortunes of the Roman Empire are in prophecy apparently -connected with her in a very intimate manner, which we are not yet able -fully to comprehend. If any event might be said to call for a miracle it -was this; whether to signalize it, or to bring it about. Thus it was that -the fate of Babylon was written on the wall of the banqueting-hall; also -portents in the sky preceded the final destruction of Jerusalem, and are -predicted in Scripture as forerunners of the last great day. Moreover our -Lord's prophecy of 'the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven' was anciently -understood of the Cross. And further, the sign of the Cross was at the -time, and had been from the beginning, a received symbol and instrument of -Christian devotion, and cannot be ascribed to a then rising superstition. -Tertullian speaks of it as an ordinary rite for sanctifying all the -ordinary events of the day; it was used in exorcisms; and, what is still -more to the point, it is regarded by S. Justin, Tertullian, and Minucius -as impressed with a providential meaning upon natural forms and human -works, as well as introduced by divine authority into the types of the Old -Testament."[22] - -The supernatural manner in which the Emperor's conversion was -accomplished may be thus recorded. Marching from the border of the Rhine, -through Gaul and part of Italy by Verona to Rome, against the tyrant -Maxentius, who had declared war against him, and was already near Rome -with a largely superior force, Constantine solemnly and earnestly invoked -the One True God, the God of the Christians, for assistance and victory. -At that period he was not a Christian himself, though he had no doubt -accurately enough measured the true character of Roman paganism. A short -time after midday, upon his march, there appeared in the heavens[23] a -large luminous Cross in sight of himself and the whole of his army, with -the inscription surrounding it, "In this conquer." On the following night -it is recorded that our Blessed Lord appeared to him in a dream, or, as -some say, a vision, and commanded him to have a representation of the sign -made, and to use it henceforth as his chief standard in battle. The -Emperor, rising early the next morning, announced this vision and message -to his confidential friends, and at once gave orders for the making of the -imperial standard.[24] This being done, fifty men of the stoutest and -most religious of his guards were chosen to carry it. And, surrounded by -these, it was borne immediately before the Emperor himself. The Christian -soldiers were full of faith and hope. They saw the Finger of God, and -looked for victory. - -On the other hand the army of Maxentius, consisting of three divisions of -veteran soldiers, esteemed the most efficient in the empire, engaged -Constantine in the Quintian fields near the bridge Milvius. The attack was -fast and furious. But the aggressors were at all points met with vigour -and bravery, and soon succumbed and were in retreat. Constantine, with far -fewer numbers than those opposed to him, was completely victorious; the -legions of Maxentius were scattered or slain, and on the same day, with -the sacred Labarum (as the imperial standard in question was termed) borne -before him, he entered Rome in triumph. His conversion to Christianity -soon followed upon his victory. In his triumph he dropped the old customs -of his Pagan predecessors. He neither mounted the Capitol, nor offered -sacrifices to the deities of Rome, but by suitable inscriptions recorded -his belief in the power of Christ's saving Cross. In his palace at -Constantinople, as well as in the chief square of that city, the sacred -sign was at once set up; and medals were struck, with representations of -the symbol in question upon them, to commemorate both the victory and his -own religious change. This occurred about A.D. 312. - -Here then we find the record of a distinctively supernatural intervention. -No known physical cause could have formed a sentence of Greek or Latin in -the air. Nor could a whole army have mistaken a Cross, with its -corresponding and appropriate inscription, for a halo of light, or a mere -natural phenomenon. Moreover: three years after the event, Constantine -erected his triumphal arch at Rome, with an inscription, which still -remains, testifying that he had gained the victory "instinctu divinitatis, -mentis magnitudine." Lactantius, likewise, in his treatise "De mortibus -Persecutorum" (if it be his book, though some attribute it to Cæcilius), -asserts the main facts of the case as regards the dream, describing the -"heavenly sign of God;" and this in a treatise certainly written within -two years of its occurrence. Seven years later, Nazarius, a Pagan orator, -in a panegyric on the Emperor, also puts upon record his solemn conviction -that celestial aid was miraculously rendered to Constantine in his defeat -of Maxentius. Thus far those who were not Christians testify to the fact -under consideration. On the other hand, Eusebius, who received the account -from Constantine himself (who is known to have confirmed it with an -oath), gives that record of the occurrence which has been already set -forth--and he was notoriously an historian who had small leaning towards -over-belief. While the reasonable conclusion, therefore, is that so many -independent writers and records of the fact could not have been made to -conspire in disseminating a falsehood; the action of the Emperor which -followed the event was in perfect harmony with that which might have been -looked for under the circumstances narrated--the supernatural appearance -of a luminous Cross, heralding a change, even the triumph of the Religion -of Christ over the effete systems of a decaying and decayed idolatry. - -The principle which was manifested in these cases is, through the study of -history, likewise seen to have existed and energized in every part of the -Church. Everywhere, from time to time, the proximity of the unseen world -and the existence of the Supernatural were made manifest: while, here and -there, examples of special miraculous interventions evidently stood forth -to show that neither the Arm of the Most High was shortened nor the faith -of the followers of our Blessed Lord stunted in its growth. In fact -miracles of the most remarkable character have been performed from the age -of the apostles to the present time: while Glimpses of the Supernatural -have been granted to many as partially unfolding the mysteries of the -Unseen World to those who longed and prayed for the same; by which -glimpses or visions their faith has been deepened and their conviction of -the truths of Christianity most surely strengthened. Just as our Blessed -Saviour, following Moses, constantly appealed to the prodigies He wrought -in attestation of His divine mission and in support of His doctrine; so -was it with His followers who came after Him. For to them He had promised -as much. So far therefore from confining the power of working miracles to -His own person and time, He expressly pledged himself and promised that -His servants and ambassadors should receive power to work still greater -works.[25] Just as under the laws of Nature and the written law given by -Moses, the Almighty was pleased to illustrate the society of His chosen -servants with frequent miracles, so we are led to expect that the One -Family of God should be for ever distinguished by occasional miracles -wrought in and through her, as a standing proof of her divine origin and -as a guide to the wanderers beyond the confines of her fold. And thus it -comes to pass that the Fathers and Teachers of the Church, amongst other -proofs of her favour, have constantly appealed to the miracles by which -she is illustrated as a proof of her heavenly mission, and as marking her -off, at the same time, from the various hereticks and schismaticks who, -going out from her, were not of her. For example S. Irenæus, a disciple of -S. Polycarp, himself a disciple of S. John the Evangelist, reproaches the -Hereticks against whom he writes in his well-known treatise,[26] that they -could neither give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cast out -devils, nor raise the dead to life again, as he maintains was frequently -done in the Church. Tertullian, a contemporary of his, writing of the -hereticks, asks, "I wish to see the miracles which they have worked." S. -Pacian, in the fourth century, opposing Novatus, and considering his -claims, scornfully inquires, "Has he the gift of tongues, or of prophecy? -Has he restored to life the dead?" S. Augustine of Hippo, in numerous -passages of his works, refers to the miracles wrought by and through and -in the Church as most important if not conclusive evidence of her heavenly -character and veracity. - -Again: In the middle of the fourth century occurred that most wonderful -miracle, when the Emperor Julian deliberately attempted to rebuild the -Temple at Jerusalem, with the express intention of disproving the prophet -Daniel's[27] utterance concerning it. Then tempests, whirlwinds, -earthquakes, and fiery eruptions convulsed the scene of the undertaking, -maiming and alarming the persistent workmen, throwing down buildings in -the neighbourhood, as Rufinus testifies, and rendering the carrying on of -the work a sheer physical impossibility. A luminous Cross surrounded by a -circle, indicating that to the Crucified was given all power in heaven -and earth, and showing that the Word of God could never fail, nor be -brought to nought by the vain determinations of men, appeared in the -sky,--a portent witnessed by thousands, and testified to both by Pagan and -Arian, as well as by Christian writers.[28] - -Furthermore, in the following century, another miracle took place at -Typassus or Typasa in Africa, where a large congregation of Christians, -being assembled in divine worship, in opposition to the decree of the -Arian tyrant Hunneric, they were collected in the Forum, in the presence -of the whole province, their right hands were chopped off, and their -tongues cut out to the roots by his command; yet, nevertheless they -continued to speak as plainly and perfectly as they had done before the -barbarous mutilation in question. - -This is vouched for by Victor, Bishop of Vite, in the following -words:--"The king in wrath sent a certain count with directions to hold a -meeting in the Forum, of the whole province, and there to cut out their -tongues by the root, and to cut off their right hands. When this was -done, they so spoke and speak, by the gift of the Holy Ghost, as they used -to speak before. If, however, anyone will be incredulous, let him now go -to Constantinople, and there he will find one of them, Reparatus a -subdeacon, speaking like an educated man without any impediment -whatsoever. On which account he is regarded with exceeding great -veneration in the court of the Emperor Zeno, and specially by the -Empress."[29] - -Now, this miracle is remarkable for various reasons. The witnesses to its -authenticity are varied, both as to their persons and the details of their -testimony, which testimony is both consistent and at one on all important -and material points. Moreover, the evidence on behalf of the miracle is -very complete: the number of persons upon whom it was wrought was more -than considerable; thus, at the same time, increasing the occasion of -valid testimony in its favour, and preventing the interposition of what -some persons term "chance." Furthermore, the miracle is entire; for, as -Dr. Newman remarks, "it carried its whole case with it to every beholder:" -it is also permanent, that is, it continued to indicate its effects before -thousands, whose inquiries, public investigations, and conclusions must -have exercised considerable weight with those who were prepared to accept -it.[30] - -In this brief survey of the miraculous, it is impossible even to touch on -the more remarkable evidences of the Supernatural as set forth in the -History of the Christian Church. Numerous miracles are recorded by S. -Basil, S. Gregory Thaumaturgus, S. Athanasius, S. Jerome, S. Chrysostom, -S. Ambrose, and S. Augustine, as well as by other illustrious Fathers and -Church Historians who adorned the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries of -the Christian era. One, however, related by both the last-named, by S. -Ambrose and S. Augustine, deserves notice, because both those holy bishops -were eye-witnesses of it. A cloth in which the relics of SS. Gervasius and -Protasius had been wrapped was applied to the eyes of a blind man, who -thereupon received his sight.[31] S. Augustine likewise gives an account -of numerous miracles wrought in his own diocese of Hippo,--some through -the instrumentality of the sacred remains of S. Stephen, others in answer -to earnest prayer: while three of the miracles so recorded by him are the -raising of three dead bodies to life. - -The miracles recorded to have been wrought by S. Basil, S. Athanasius, S. -Jerome, S. John Chrysostom, S. Ambrose, and S. Augustine (and, in this -particular, he who runs may read) testify clearly and sufficiently to the -Divine power which existed in the Church Universal in the times of those -holy saints, and the rich fruits of which were both seen and tested by the -faithful. One of the most remarkable was the verification of the Wood of -the Cross, after its discovery by S. Helena, A.D. 326, through the -convincing miracle wrought upon a dead man, who, on being touched by it, -was immediately restored to life. - -And so soon as the Religion of Christ was brought to Britain by our great -Apostle and Archbishop S. Augustine, "greater works than these" followed, -as a matter of course, when the banner of the cross was unfurled upon the -coasts of Kent. That this was so, that many miracles were wrought, we -learn from a Letter written by S. Gregory the Great to S. Augustine, -embodied in the well-known "History" of the Venerable Bede, and preserved -amongst S. Gregory's "Works," in which the Archbishop is duly and lovingly -cautioned against becoming too much elated with vain glory, because of -these marked manifestations of Divine power and favour; and is reminded -that God Almighty had, no doubt, bestowed the gift of working them, not on -the Archbishop's own account, or for his own merit, but for the conversion -of the English nation.[32] - -So, through every succeeding age, were Glimpses afforded of the -Supernatural. For example, S. Bernard, perhaps the most illustrious saint -of the twelfth century, in the "Life of S. Malachi of Armagh," records the -miraculous cure of the withered hand of a youth, by the dead hand of his -holy friend S. Malachi. But nothing can exceed the splendour and publicity -of the miracles of S. Bernard himself,--to the reality of which the -faithful of France and Switzerland, as well as those of Germany and Italy, -bore abundant testimony. Princes and prelates, kings and priests were -witnesses of his supernatural power; for, like his Lord and Master, he -wrought instantaneous cures on the lame, the halt, and the blind, in the -presence of multitudes, and to the great spread and triumph of the Faith. -Of those worked at Cologne, Philip, Archdeacon of Liége, who was formally -commissioned to inquire and report upon them by Lampeon, Archbishop of -Rheims, declared as follows: that "they were not performed in a corner, -but the whole city was witness to them. If anyone," he adds, "doubts or is -curious, he may easily satisfy himself on the spot, more especially as -some of the miracles were wrought upon persons of no inconsiderable rank -and reputation."[33] Moreover, S. Bernard himself distinctly refers to -them in one of his most celebrated treatises, "De Consideratione," -addressed to Pope Eugenius III., and maintains that the evidence of God's -special graces and exceptional blessings thus resting upon him, enabled -him to feel sufficient confidence of the Divine aid and benediction to -enter upon the grave and laborious task of preaching the Second Crusade. - -And if we proceed onward to the sixteenth century, where in some places, -and especially amongst the northern nations of Europe, Faith began to wax -cold, and Charity was not, we find, from History, that the miracles of -Francis Xavier, the saintly apostle of India, may almost vie with those -of the great S. Bernard, for they were as numerous and as inherently -remarkable; while the testimony as to their truth, reality, and -influence[34] was generally acknowledged by the faithful, as well as by -Protestants. - -In truth, wherever the Catholic religion has been taught and accepted, -wherever the Name of Jesus has been loved and venerated, wherever faith in -the Unseen has been active and daring, there the Finger of God has -sometimes been manifested. And this, of course, was to have been expected. -Our Blessed Saviour's glorious and unfailing promise, that His disciples, -with whom He pledged Himself to remain unto the end of the world, should -do even "greater works" than He Himself had wrought, was thus, from time -to time, as man's faith merited God Almighty's intervention, literally and -strictly fulfilled. - - - - -SPIRITUAL POWERS AND PROPERTIES OF THE CHURCH. - - -"When a man holds up to my conscious eye the page of futurity; or when, at -the mandate of a mortal, I clearly perceive Nature to listen and to -suspend her laws, I rationally conclude that such a man is indeed employed -by God. These miraculous and prophetical tests, produced by the ancient -seer to the Israelites, appealed to by Christ in His own sacred cause, and -made over by Him to His ministers for ever in the work of conversion, have -been a means to guide the enquiring soul to that Authority -divinely-commissioned to teach the World. This power to deliver the -dictates of the Holy Spirit, this society of continued apostles, or in -other words, the Holy Catholic Church in every age, has proved by the -evidence of actual miracles her possession of this gift presented to her -by her Divine Founder." - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -SPIRITUAL POWERS AND PROPERTIES OF THE CHURCH. - - -It is allowed on all hands by Catholic Christians that liberty has been -sometimes permitted to the devil or his angels to enter into the bodies of -men (just as of old Satan was allowed to try the patriarch Job), and to -obtain such an absolute command over their powers and faculties as to -incapacitate them, more or less, for any of the common duties of life. On -this point, those who accept the Written Word of God as a portion, and a -very important portion, of His Divine Revelation to mankind, through -Christ, can have no doubt. In the New Testament, numerous instances of -possession by evil spirits are recorded. - -The case of the daughter of the woman of Canaan, who cried out to our -Blessed Saviour, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, Thou Son of David, my -daughter is grievously vexed with a devil,"[35] and obtained from Him the -gracious and merciful reply, "Be it unto thee even as thou wilt," is -familiar to all. - -So likewise is that of the man with an unclean spirit, recorded in the -first chapter of the Gospel according to S. Mark. Here the spirit -acknowledging that Christ was the "Holy One of God," received the rebuke -of Jesus Christ. "And when the unclean spirit had torn" the man suffering, -"and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all -amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing -is this? What new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth He even -the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him." - -Again we read, "Unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, -and cried saying, Thou art the Son of God."[36] And when His apostles were -called and formally ordained, it is written that they were "to have power -to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils," power which in due course -both the Gospels and the recorded History of the Church assure us was duly -exercised. - -Another miraculous intervention, by which our Blessed Saviour manifested -His divine power over evil spirits, and freed suffering men from their -frightful influence, is here given from S. Mark's Gospel at length: "When -He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a -man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no -man could bind him, no not with chains: because that he had often been -bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by -him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And -always, day and night, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying -and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran -and worshipped Him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to -do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure Thee by God -that Thou torment me not. For He said unto him, Come out of the man, thou -unclean spirit. And He asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, -saying, My name is Legion, for we are many. And he besought Him much that -He would not send him away out of the country. Now there was nigh unto the -mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought Him, -saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter unto them. And forthwith -Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into -the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea -(they were about two thousand), and were choked in the sea. And they that -fed the swine fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And they -went out to see what it was that was done. And they came to Jesus, and see -him that was possessed of the devil, and had the legion, sitting and -clothed and in his right mind."[37] - -With these solemn and awful facts before us, it is impossible to doubt -either of the power or influence of the devil and his angels. That such -power had been known amongst the ancient nations, and that certain persons -had entered into compacts or alliances with evil spirits, seems to be -generally admitted. And although the fact of the Incarnation had sorely -crippled the influence of the enemy of souls, it is clear from the last -promise given by our Lord to His apostles, "In My Name they shall cast out -devils," that such authority and action would still be needed. For -possessions were not to cease, as a reference to the Acts of the Apostles -shows: where it is recorded that the very authority bestowed by our -Blessed Saviour was actually and efficiently exercised; and there is no -reasonable evidence to show that such divinely-bestowed powers have ever -ceased. All through the History of the Church, here and there, from time -to time, as man needed and as God willed, such direct supernatural powers -as those referred to, appear to have been put into operation. For the -Church can bless and the Church can curse. The Church can bind and can -loose. She can commend to the protection of God Almighty and His holy -angels, and she can deliver over to Satan. She can bestow light and peace -on her true and faithful children, and send out the disobedient and -impenitent beyond the consecrated confines of her spiritual powers and -graces. As effects of Christ's most gracious promise, such ordinary and -extraordinary works were wrought; for the glory of His great Name, and as -a testimony of the truth of the Church Universal. - -For generations, up to the very earliest age of Christianity, there have -been officers of the Church duly set apart and ordained for the particular -work of exorcism. Amongst the minor orders of Western Christendom the -exorcist has always found a place; and although, in later years, this -special work, when undertaken, has been more frequently done by persons in -the higher or sacred orders, yet the very office itself, and its title, as -well as the existing forms for casting out evil spirits, abundantly attest -the Church's divine and spiritual powers. - -In countries which are specially and eminently Christian, where churches, -sanctuaries, and religious houses are numerous; where, by the road-side -and on the hill-top, stand the signs and symbols of the Faith of -Christendom; where the Sacrament of Baptism is shed upon so many; where -post-baptismal sin is remitted by those who have authority and -jurisdiction to bind and loose in the Name of their Master; and where the -Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, God manifest in the Flesh, reposing in the -tabernacle, or borne in triumph through aisle and street and garden, -hallows and feeds the faithful--there the power and influence of the Evil -One is circumscribed and weakened. Sacred oil for unction, and holy water -and the life-giving power of the Cross, and the relics of the beatified as -well as of the favoured and crowned servants of the Crucified, make the -devils flee away, and efficiently curb their power. Hence it is found that -in countries where the Catholic Faith has been halved or rejected, -Superstition has taken the place of the first theological virtue, Faith; -and the Prince of the Powers of the air comes back again with his evil and -malignant spirits to vex mankind anew,[38] and mar and stay the final -triumph of Him to Whom all power is given in heaven and in earth. - -A remarkable case of the Supernatural will here be put on record, which -occurred in the diocese of Exeter during the seventeenth century. -Preliminary inquiries and comments concerning the various incidents would -be obviously out of place; for the well-authenticated story itself is -unfolded with a simplicity and yet with a power which efficiently serve to -stamp it as true. - -"About 152 years since," writes Mr. Fortescue Hitchins, in his "History of -Cornwall," "a ghost is said to have made its appearance in this parish[39] -(Little Petherick[40]), in a field about half a mile from Botaden or -Botathen (in that county). In the narrative which is given of this -occurrence, it is said to have been seen by a son of Mr. Bligh, aged about -sixteen, by his father and mother, and by the Rev. John Ruddle, master of -the grammar school of Launceston, and one of the prebendaries of Exeter, -and vicar of Alternon. The relation given by Mr. Ruddle is in substance as -follows:-- - -"Young Mr. Bligh, a lad of bright parts and of no common attainments, -became on a sudden pensive, dejected, and melancholy. His friends -observing the change, without being able to discover the cause, attributed -his behaviour to laziness--an aversion to school--or to some other motive -which they suspected he was ashamed to discover. He was, however, induced -after some time to inform his brother that in a field through which he -passed to and from school he was invariably met by the apparition of a -woman whom he personally knew while living, and who had been dead about -eight years. Ridicule, threats, and persuasions were alike used in vain by -the family to induce him to dismiss these absurd ideas. Mr. Ruddle was -however sent for, to whom the lad ingenuously communicated the time, -manner, and frequency of this appearance. It was in a field called 'Higher -Bloomfield.' The apparition, he said, appeared dressed in female attire, -met him two or three times while he passed through the field, glided -hastily by him, but never spoke. He had thus been occasionally met about -two months before he took any particular notice of it: at length the -appearance became more frequent, meeting him both morning and evening, but -always in the same field, yet invariably moving out of the path when it -came close by him. He often spoke, but could never get any reply. To avoid -this unwelcome visitor he forsook the field, and went to school and -returned from it through a lane, in which place between the quarry-park -and nursery it always met him. - -"Unable to disbelieve the evidence of his senses, or to obtain credit with -any of his family, he prevailed upon Mr. Ruddle to accompany him to the -place. 'I arose,' says this clergyman, 'the next morning, and went with -him. The field to which he led me I guessed to be about twenty acres, in -an open country, and about three furlongs from any house. We went into -the field, and had not gone a third part before the _spectrum_, in the -shape of a woman, with all the circumstances that he had described the day -before, so far as the suddenness of its appearance and transition would -permit me to discover, passed by. - -"'I was a little impressed at it, and, though I had taken up a firm -resolution to speak to it, I had not the power, nor durst I look back; yet -I took care not to show any fear to my pupil and guide; and therefore, -telling him that I was satisfied in the truth of his statement, we walked -to the end of the field, and returned: nor did the ghost meet us that time -but once. - -"'On the 27th July, I went to the haunted field by myself, and walked the -breadth of it without any encounter. I then returned, and took the other -walk, and then the spectre appeared to me, when about the same place in -which I saw it when the young gentleman was with me. It appeared to move -swifter than before, and seemed to me about ten feet from me on my right -hand, insomuch that I had not time to speak to it as I had determined with -myself beforehand. The evening of this day the parents, the son, and -myself being in the chamber where I lay, I proposed to them our going to -the place next morning; we accordingly met at the stile we had appointed; -thence we all four walked into the field together. We had not gone more -than half the field before the ghost made its appearance. It then came -over the stile just before us, and moved with such rapidity, that by the -time it had gone six or seven steps, it passed by. I immediately turned my -head and ran after it, with the young man by my side. We saw it pass over -the stile at which we entered, and no farther. I stepped upon the hedge at -one place, and the young man at another, but we could discern nothing; -whereas I do aver that the swiftest horse in England could not have -conveyed himself out of sight in that short space of time. Two things I -observed in this day's appearance; first a spaniel dog, which had followed -the company unregarded, barked and ran away as the _spectrum_ passed by: -whence it is easy to conclude that it was not our fear and fancy which -made the apparition; secondly the motion of the _spectrum_ was not -_gradatim_ or by steps, or moving of the feet, but by a kind of gliding, -as children upon ice, or as a boat down a river, which practically answers -the description the ancients give of the motion of these lemures. This -ocular evidence clearly convinced, but withal strangely affrighted, the -old gentleman and his wife. They all knew this woman, Dorothy Durant, in -her lifetime; were at her burial: and now plainly saw her features in this -apparition. - -"'The next morning being Thursday, I went very early by myself, and walked -for about one hour's space in meditation and prayer, in the field next -adjoining. Soon after five I stepped over the stile into the haunted -field, and had not gone above thirty or forty paces before the ghost -appeared at the further stile. I spoke to it in some short sentences, with -a loud voice, whereupon it approached me but slowly, and, when I came -near, it moved not. I spoke again, and it answered in a voice neither -audible nor very intelligible. I was not in the least terrified, and -thereupon persisted until it spoke again, and gave me satisfaction; but -the work could not be finished at this time. Whereupon the same evening, -an hour after sunset, it met me again near the same place, and after a few -words on each side it quietly vanished, and neither doth appear now, nor -hath appeared since, nor ever will move to any man's disturbance. The -discourse in the morning lasted about a quarter of an hour. - -"'These things are true, and I know them to be so, with as much certainty -as eyes and ears can give me; and until I can be persuaded that my senses -all deceive me about their proper objects, and by that persuasion deprive -myself of the strongest inducement to believe in Christian Religion, I -must and will assert that the things contained in this paper are true. As -for the manner of my proceeding, I have no reason to be ashamed of it. I -can justify it to men of good principles, discretion, and recondite -learning, though in this case I chose to content myself in the assurance -of the thing, rather than be at the unprofitable trouble to persuade -others to believe it, for I know full well with what difficulty relations -of so uncommon a nature and practice obtain belief.'" - -So much as regards the record of the appearance found in the volume -already referred to. - -The following extract from Mr. Ruddle's MS. Diary, was taken by the Rev. -R. S. Hawker, M.A., vicar of Morwenstow, the accomplished and well-known -Christian poet, and appears in his interesting "Footprints of Former Men -in Far Cornwall" (London, 1870), and still further amplifies and -illustrates this story, the practical and eventual issue of which is now -to be recorded:-- - -"January 7, 1665. At my own house I find by my books what is expedient to -be done; and then Apage Sathanas! - -"January 9, 1665. This day I took leave of my wife and family, under -pretext of engagements elsewhere, and made my secret journey to our -diocesan city, wherein the good and venerable bishop then abode.[41] - -"January 10. 'Deo gratias,' in safe arrival at Exeter: craved and obtained -immediate audience of his lordship; pleading it was for counsel and -admonition on a weighty and pressing cause. Called to the presence; made -obeisance; and then, by command, stated my case, the Botathen -perplexity--which I moved with strong and earnest instances and solemn -asseverations of that which I had myself seen and heard. Demanded by his -lordship, what was the succour that I had come to entreat at his hands? -Replied, license for my exorcism, that so I might, ministerially, allay -this spiritual visitant, and thus render to the living and the dead -release from this surprise. - -"'But,' said our bishop, 'on what authority do you allege that I am -entrusted with faculty so to do? Our Church, as is well known, hath -abjured certain branches of her ancient power, on grounds of perversion -and abuse.' - -"'Nay, my Lord,' I humbly answered, 'under favour, the seventy-second of -the Canons[42] ratified and enjoined on us, the clergy, Anno Domini 1604, -doth expressly provide that _No minister, unless he hath the license of -his diocesan bishop, shall essay to exorcise a spirit, evil or good_. -Therefore it was,' I did here mildly allege, 'that I did not presume to -enter on such a work without lawful privilege under your lordship's hand -and seal.' - -"Hereupon did our wise and learned bishop, sitting in his chair, -condescend upon the theme at some length, with many gracious -interpretations from ancient writers and from Holy Scripture, and did -humbly rejoin and reply; till the upshot was that he did call in his -secretary and command him to draw the aforesaid faculty forthwith and -without further delay, assigning him a form, insomuch that the matter was -incontinently done, and after I had disbursed into the secretary's hands -certain moneys, for signitary purposes, as the manner of such officers -hath always been, the Bishop did himself affix his signature under the -sigillum of his see, and deliver the document into my hands. - -"When I knelt down to receive his benediction, he softly said, 'Let it be -secret, Mr. Rudall,--weak brethren! weak brethren!'" - -Some details from the same Diary as to the exact manner in which the ghost -was laid give an additional interest to the narrative. - -"January 12th, 1665. Rode into the gateway of Botathen, armed at all -points, but not with Saul's armour, and ready. There is danger from the -demons, but so there is in the surrounding air every day. At early morning -then and alone, for so the usage ordains, I betook me towards the field. -It was void, and I had thereby due time to prepare. First I paced and -measured out my circle on the grass. Then did I mark my pentacle in the -very midst, and at the intersection of the five angles I did set up and -fix my crutch of raun [rowan]. Lastly I took my station south, at the true -line of the meridian, and stood facing due north. I waited and watched -for a long time. At last there was a kind of trouble in the air, a soft -and rippling sound, and all at once the shape appeared, and came on -towards me gradually. I opened my parchment scroll, and read aloud the -command. She paused and seemed to waver and doubt; stood still: and then I -rehearsed the sentence again, sounding out every syllable like a chant. -She drew near my ring, but halted at first outside, on the brink. I -sounded again, and now at the third time I gave the signal in Syriac--the -speech which is used, they say, where such ones dwell and converse in -thoughts that glide. - -"She was at last obedient and swam into the midst of the circle: and there -stood still suddenly. I saw, moreover, that she drew back her pointing -hand. All this while I do confess that my knees shook under me, and the -drops of sweat ran down my flesh like rain. But now, although face to face -with the spirit, my heart grew calm and my mind composed, to know that the -pentacle would govern her, and the ring must bind until I gave the word. -Then I called to mind the rule laid down of old that no angel or fiend, no -spirit, good or evil, will ever speak until they be spoken to. N.B.--This -is the great law of prayer. God Himself will not yield reply until man -hath made vocal entreaty once and again. So I went on to demand, as the -books advise; and the phantom made answer willingly. Questioned, wherefore -not at rest? Unquiet because of a certain sin. Asked what and by whom? -Revealed it; but it is _sub sigillo_, and therefore _nefas dictu_; more -anon. Inquired, what sign she could give me that she was a true spirit and -not a false fiend? Stated [that] before next Yule-tide a fearful -pestilence would lay waste the land;[43] and myriads of souls would be -loosened from their flesh, until, as she piteously said, 'Our valleys will -be full.' Asked again, why she so terrified the lad? Replied, 'It is the -law; we must seek a youth or a maiden of clean life, and under age, to -receive messages and admonitions.' We conversed with many more words; but -it is not lawful for me to set them down. Pen and ink would degrade and -defile the thoughts she uttered, and which my mind received that day. I -broke the ring and she passed, but to return once more next day. At -evensong a long discourse with that ancient transgressor, Mr. B----. Great -horror and remorse; entire atonement and penance; whatsoever I enjoin; -full acknowledgment before pardon. - -"January 13, 1665. At sunrise I was again in the field. She came in at -once, and, as it seemed, with freedom. Inquired if she knew my thoughts, -and what I was going to relate? Answered, 'Nay, we only know what we -perceive and hear: we cannot see the heart.' Then I rehearsed the penitent -words of the man she had come up to denounce, and the satisfaction he -would perform. Then said she, 'Peace in our midst.' I went through the -proper forms of dismissal, and fulfilled all, as it was set down and -written in my memoranda; and then with certain fixed rites, I did dismiss -that troubled ghost, until she peacefully withdrew, gliding towards the -west. Neither did she ever afterwards appear; but was allayed, until she -shall come in her second flesh, to the Valley of Armageddon on the Last -Day." - -Another example, giving with singular power and effect a very striking -Glimpse of the Supernatural, from the experiences of a venerated and -exemplary Roman Catholic clergyman, the late Rev. Edward Peach, of S. -Chad's, Birmingham, is here given at length. The events narrated occurred -in the year 1815, and Mr. Peach deliberately affirmed of the following -account that it "_may be relied on in every particular as being strictly -true_." "I," he continues, in a formal record of the successful exorcism, -"was the minister of God employed on the occasion; and truth is more to -me than all the boastings of pride and vain glory." - -The authentic record stands as follows:-- - -"Some time after Easter, in the year 1815, I was informed that a young -married woman of the name of White, in the parish of King's Norton, -Worcestershire, a Protestant, was afflicted with an extraordinary kind of -illness, and that her relations, who occupied a small farm, were convinced -that her illness arose solely from the malice of a rejected admirer, who, -they said, had employed the assistance of a reputed wizard at Dudley to do -her a mischief. These were their terms. I paid but little attention to -this story. Afterwards I was informed by a sister who frequents our -markets, and supplies with butter a respectable family of my congregation, -Mr. Powell, Suffolk Street, that the young woman was married in the -beginning of the preceding Lent; that her former admirer repeatedly -declared that, if she did marry any other, she should never have another -happy day; that the day after her marriage she was seized with an -extraordinary kind of mental complaint; that she became suddenly -delirious; that she raved, and declared that a multitude of infernal -spirits surrounded her; that they threatened to carry her away; that she -must go with them. The poor sister informed my friend, with tears -streaming down her cheeks, that she continued in that state, day and -night, for nearly two months, and that the whole family were almost -exhausted with the fatigue of constantly attending her, for, she said, -they could not leave her alone, lest she should put her threats of -destroying herself into execution. - -"At the end of about two months, according to the relation of the same -sister, the poor creature was so spent that her medical attendant (who, -during the whole time of his attendance, declared that her illness arose -more from a mental than corporeal cause,) declared that, in all -probability, she could not survive four-and-twenty hours. The clergyman of -the parish was called in to assist her in her last moments; but he found -her in a state not to be benefited by his assistance, and he departed. - -"Amongst the neighbours who came to make a tender of their good offices -for the relief of the afflicted family was a Catholic woman. Her offers -were accepted, and she was frequently with her. Finding her reduced almost -to a state of inanition, and hearing her speak of these infernal spirits -every time she opened her lips, the thought came into her mind of applying -to her some holy water. She accordingly procured some, dipped her finger -into it, and made the sign of the cross upon her forehead. Instantly the -poor sufferer started, and, in a faint voice, exclaimed, 'You have scalded -me.' However, she leaned upon the bosom of her attendant, and, what she -had not done for a considerable time before, she fell into a gentle sleep. -On awaking, she continued to hold the same language as before. The -Catholic put a little holy water into her mouth. But the very instant it -entered her mouth she seemed to be in a state of suffocation. She and the -others who were with her were alarmed, and expected that every instant -would be her last. In a short time, however, she swallowed it, and after -many convulsive struggles she regained her breath, and exclaimed with -violence, 'You have scalded my throat, you have scalded my throat.' In a -few minutes she fell again into a comfortable sleep, and continued so for -some hours. The next morning she appeared refreshed, and spoke reasonably -for a short time. Being informed of what had been applied to her, she -seemed to wish for more. The swallowing was attended with the same -sensation of scalding, and the same convulsive struggles as before; but it -seemed to give her ease. From that time the danger of death seemed to -decrease by degrees. She enjoyed lucid intervals from time to time; and -invariably after the application of holy water, although attended with the -same sensations as before, she fell into a slumber. - -"One remarkable circumstance deserves notice. In one of her paroxysms, she -insisted on getting up, and going out of doors. She said that there was a -large snake in front of the house, that she would go and kill it, and then -one of her enemies would be removed. Nothing would satisfy her, till this -same sister, who gave the account, assured her that she would go down and -kill it. She went down, and, to her great astonishment, found a large -snake, and succeeded in destroying it. - -"This in substance is the account which the sister gave of Mrs. White's -extraordinary illness. At the same time it was asked whether I could be of -any assistance to her, or whether it was probable that I could be -prevailed on to go and see her? My friend who related to me the whole of -the above account, asked me to go. I replied that I knew nothing of them, -nor they of me; but that if she would walk over, and examine into the -state of the poor woman, I would go, if there appeared to her to be any -probability of my being of service. She went, and, on her return, she -informed me that all she had heard seemed to be true, and assured me that -all the family were desirous of seeing me, and particularly the young -woman herself. - -"However, I still delayed, till at length, on Tuesday in Rogation Week, -May 2nd, 1815, a special messenger came over to inform me that Mrs. White -was in a worse state than ever, and to request me to go and see her -without delay. - -"I obeyed the call, and I may say with truth that it was the most awful -visit I ever made during the whole course of my ministry. The distance was -about six miles. No sooner had I cleared the skirts of the town than I -heard the distant thunder before me. Before I had proceeded two miles, the -storm was nearly over my head; and I may say the remainder of my walk, -and during the time I was with her, there was hardly cessation of one -minute between the claps of thunder. I do not say that in this there was -anything supernatural, but, knowing the business I was upon, it was truly -awful. - -"When I arrived at the house, I was informed that she was in a dreadful -state, and that the strength of two persons was necessary to keep her in -bed. I went up-stairs, and on entering into the room, before she saw me, -the curtains being drawn on the side where I entered, she turned to the -other side of the bed, and struggled so violently to get away that it was -with difficulty that her husband and two women overpowered her. In a few -minutes, before she had lifted up her eyes to see me (for she had turned -her face downwards) she stretched out her hand to me, in a convulsive -manner, and fell speechless and spent upon her back. - -"After a time she opened her eyes, and in a faint whisper, answered a -question that was put to her, and said she knew who I was. She revived by -degrees, and in a short time could speak in an audible voice. Her friends -having requested me to try if I could discover what it was that weighed -most upon her mind, for they said they had tried to no purpose, I -requested them to withdraw. Being alone, she related to me, as far as she -could recollect, the circumstances of her illness, and I found that they -corresponded exactly with the accounts given by her sister. I questioned -her as to the cause, but I could not discover that it was owing to -anything weighing heavy on her mind. She was positive, she said, that it -was the young man who had done her a mischief. - -"I then proceeded to explain to her some of the articles of the Catholic -Faith. She listened with every attention; and when I assured her that she -must believe the Holy Catholic Church before she could obtain relief, she, -without hesitation, declared that she did believe, and that she believed -from the moment she knew what holy water was, and experienced its effects. -From the time it was first applied, she said that the devils seemed to -keep at a greater distance from her, and that the number seemed to be -diminished. - -"Such were the ideas on her mind at the time. She was convinced, she said, -that it was not the effect of imagination--that she was not -delirious--that she knew everything that was said to her, and that she -could recollect everything that had passed. I asked her to tell me where -the holy water was. Her voice immediately faltered; and with every -endeavour, I perceived that she could not point out with her finger, nor -tell me by words where it was. She was like an infant attempting to point -out an object. - -"I looked about and found it. I dipped my finger into it, and made the -sign of the cross on her forehead. She started as soon as I touched her, -and was a little convulsed. I asked her what was the matter. For a few -moments she could not articulate; but as soon as she could speak, she said -that it scalded her. - -"After a little more conversation, I desired her to join with me in -repeating the Lord's Prayer. She consented, and without difficulty -repeated the first words. But when we came to the petitions, her voice -faltered; she was labouring for breath, and appeared to be almost -suffocated: her countenance and limbs were convulsed. The greatest -stammerer could not find greater difficulty in pronouncing words than she -did in pronouncing every word of the petitions. At one time I was inclined -to desist, thinking that it was impossible for her to finish it; but we -laboured on, and at length came to the end. - -"After a short pause, she again began to converse with a free voice, -without the least faltering. I explained to her the nature of exorcisms, -and proposed to read them over her. She consented, and said that she would -endeavour to offer up her prayers to God during the time in the best -manner she could. As soon as I began the exorcisms, she fell into a state -of convulsive agitation, not indeed endeavouring to get away; but every -limb, every joint seemed to be agitated and convulsed, even her -countenance was distorted,--it required constant attention to keep her -covered. - -"Now it was that I felt in a particular manner the awful situation in -which I was. All alone with a person in a distressed condition,--the -lightning flashing, the thunder rolling, and I with an imperative voice -commanding the evil spirit to reply to my interrogatories, and to go forth -from her. I acknowledge that my flesh began to creep and my hair to stand -on end. However, I proceeded on till I came to the conclusion, and nothing -happened except the violent agitation of the poor sufferer, which -continued uninterrupted during the whole time. - -"After I had finished, she became calm, and in a few minutes began to -converse with me with the same ease as before. Among other things, I asked -her whether she had felt any particular sensations during the time that I -was coming to see her? She said that during the whole afternoon she had -felt the most determined resolution to destroy herself; that she employed -every means to induce her friends to leave the room, or to make her escape -from them; and that if she had succeeded, she would have laid violent -hands on herself the moment she was at liberty. I explained to her the -nature of baptism, the necessity of receiving it, and the effects produced -by it. - -"During the course of our conversation, discovering that there were strong -reasons to doubt whether she had been baptized at all, or whether the -essential rites had been observed in her baptism, I conceived that it -would be advisable to re-baptize her conditionally. I proposed it, and -she readily consented. I gave her what instructions were necessary, and -repeated several acts of contrition. Finding her in dispositions the most -satisfactory, I made use of the holy water, and baptized her, subject to -the condition, _if she was not baptized_. During the time she trembled -like a leaf, and the features of her countenance were distorted, like -those of a person in acute pain. Upon my putting the question to her, she -replied as she did before, that it gave her as much pain as if boiling -water had been poured over her. - -"Immediately after the ceremony was concluded, she began to speak to me -with all the cheerfulness of a person in perfect health and spirits. We -conversed together for a few minutes, and I took my leave, promising to -see her again the next day. Her sister went to her, and her first request -was that she might have a cup of tea and something to eat; and before I -left the house, she eat and drank as she had done before her affliction. I -went to see her the next day, and found her down-stairs in perfect health; -at least, no effects of her illness were perceptible, except a weakness of -body. From that time to this, she has enjoyed good health, and not the -least symptom of her former complaint has been felt. It is more than a -twelvemonth since." - -A second example of successful exorcism, now to be narrated, is from the -pen of an eminent and well-known clergyman[44] of the Church of England, -whose literary labours in the early part of the Oxford movement, were -recognized and rewarded by high authority in the English Church. Only a -slight verbal alteration here and there to make the narrative of itself -quite intelligible, has been made by the Editor. - -"The subject is almost too sacred for pen; and I only put it on record to -show the goodness of God, and to indicate that His powers are not -withdrawn, nor His Arm shortened. It is some years, however, since the -event to be related happened; and the subject of it has long gone to his -last account. I must scrupulously refrain from any indication of place and -person; though, in these latter days of rude and coarse unbelief, when -such interpositions of the Almighty's mercy are laughed to scorn, _some_ -may find comfort and edification from its recital. - -"The son of a farmer, who had just come of age, having heard a sermon of -mine, which I had preached some five years previously, came a distance of -more than thirty miles to seek at my hands ghostly counsel. From his -childhood he had been led to indulge in breaches of the seventh -commandment, and these after a while were certainly of a heinous -character. He believed himself (when I saw him) to be possessed by an -unclean spirit. Wherever he went, he asserted that he saw a hideous black -figure, darkly draped, with a form like a man, but with the face of a -beast, sitting opposite to, huddled up, and staring at him. It would -appear for weeks together, at home, abroad, in his sleeping-room, in the -field, in the market. Sometimes he would throw himself on to the floor in -an agony of distraction, and pray God that it might be removed. For a -short term he would cease to see it. But in due course it reappeared. And -at last (an event which had never happened hitherto,) it would likewise -haunt him in dreams. On one occasion he declared that it seemed to -elongate itself into a long serpent-like figure, and, as he asserted, -tried to creep down his throat. But wherever he went he almost always saw -it. Thinking it might be the result of bodily ailment he consulted a -physician; but with no effect. - -"I am free to say that I was not long in coming to a conclusion, that it -was a case of possession; though I did not arrive at that conclusion until -I had taken counsel from one of the most pious and holy clergymen I ever -knew,[45] and had commended the subject to God Almighty in very earnest -prayer. - -"The result was that I unfolded to the subject of this apparition my -intention, with God's help, and his own sanction, to cast out the spirit, -according to the old rule and custom of Holy Church. Prior to this he made -a full and frank confession of his whole life, and resolved by God's help -to amend. Having made an appointment, a fortnight hence, with him, and -being resolved to consecrate my proposed act, by special deeds of fasting, -self-denial, and prayer, I was alarmed to hear, by letter, of his most -serious illness a few days later. His relations asserted that he was -suffering from epilepsy, and that the fits were rapid and most severe. - -"The following day, taking with me a book containing an authorized form of -exorcism, I went to see the sick man. His sufferings seemed to be -excruciating: his fits shocking to witness. At a half-lucid interval he -saw me; and, starting from his bed, tried to throw himself out of the -window. When he was calmer, I knelt down and prayed for him with his -relations; making several times an act of Faith. - -"Then signing him with the cross on forehead, mouth, and breast, I began -the authorized form. During this, his fits returned; and his violence and -ravings were terrible to witness. Throughout I felt sustained in my action -by a Higher Power, and completed my task in the Name of the Adorable and -Ever-Blessed Trinity. Here he sank into a deep sleep; and this sleep -proved to be the beginning of a complete change for the better. The fits -ceased, the body was no longer tortured with writhings; and, as I heard -from him afterwards, the hideous vision or apparition vanished, and was -never seen again. A few years afterwards he died, as I believe in grace; -and, as I commended his soul to God, so I committed his body to the dust; -and have always looked upon this remarkable event as a token, to myself -most unworthy, of the Almighty's power and Presence amongst us, as well as -of His exceeding great mercy and goodness to this poor sufferer." - -Another remarkable instance of the active and energizing powers of the -Church of God, unimpaired and uncrippled, may be gathered from the record -which follows of the sudden and effectual cure of -Françoise-Geneviève-Philippe, which took place in the church of the -Carmelites of Pontoise on the 16th of July, 1784, upon the Festival of Our -Lady of Mount Carmel. The record below is a literal translation of the -formal act and deed of the person cured:-- - -"I, the undersigned Françoise-Geneviève-Philippe, called in religion -'Sister Josephine-Mary of the Incarnation,' aged thirty years, declare -that my health being disordered at Pontoise, where I resided with the -Ursuline Dames for eleven years, I was advised to make a change of air; I -consequently withdrew to the Dames of the Congregation of -Trouvelle-les-Vernon, where I entered on the 16th of February, 1782. My -health continued bad in consequence of the frequent attacks of hæmorrhage -to which I became subject. - -"On the 29th of December following I was seized with a violent headache, -beginning with a swoon, which lasted more than two hours, and with a -frightful hæmorrhage. Suitable remedies were instantly administered to me -by skilful physicians, but in vain; and after this I was attacked with -convulsions, and the entire suspension of all motion in my body. - -"Different consultations were held at Paris; MM. Fumé and Petit sent me -prescriptions which produced no effect. This sickness continued until the -13th of May, 1783, when I was removed into the town of my uncle's. All -these facts have been attested by the physicians and surgeons of Vernon, -by the testimony of M. Atadie, physician to his Serene Highness the Duke -of Penthievre, and of M. le Noble, physician, who had employed magnetism, -but without effect. These certificates, duly legalized by M. le -Lieutenant-Général of the same town, attest that my disorder was deemed so -violent and incurable to the period when I decided upon returning to -Pontoise, hoping to recover my health by the means which it might please -God to employ. I arrived there on the 5th of August, 1783; from that time -my condition was precisely the same, namely habitual convulsions. I was -deprived of the use of my limbs, particularly of my right arm, in which -the convulsions were so violent that it was found necessary to fix and tie -it with a bandage. The left was not much better, for on merely touching -it, or on a change of weather, it experienced similar convulsions. Added -to this I was attacked violently with gout, which I felt all over my body, -but especially in my head and the extremities of my fingers. I was subject -to pains in my breast and stomach, so severe as to occasion me to spit -blood and to vomit up even the most liquid of my food. Sleep, of which I -had in general but little till this period, now became, as it were, a -stranger to me. My voice was for a month or six weeks almost extinct, and -there was not a part of my body which was not in a state of suffering; the -least noise became almost insupportable. - -"It is moreover to be remarked, that I never discovered, although always -valetudinary, what could be capable of occasioning such a malady. This is -a testimony I offer to truth. The persons who could not be ignorant of -what concerned their patient have made the same depositions.[46] - -"Such was my condition when they were proceeding at Pontoise, by order of -the Holy See, in the process of the beatification of the servant of God, -Marie de l'Incarnation, whose name in the world was Madame Acarie, -foundress of the Carmelites in France, who, having edified the World by -the virtues which characterize great souls, and consecrated at Carmel -three of her daughters, herself embraced this holy state under the humble -quality of converse-sister in the Convent of Carmelites at Amiens, and -died at that of Pontoise in the odour of sanctity on the 18th of April, -1618, aged fifty-two years. - -"The fame of this process revived my faith. I made a Novena to her, in -which the Carmelites, as well as many other pious persons, united. I not -only, during this Novena, took no medicines, but I told my physician: -'Perhaps, sir, you will smile at me when I tell you that I am performing a -Novena to the venerable Sister Marie de l'Incarnation, and that I hope -to-morrow to be taken to her tomb!' 'I commend your piety,' said he, 'to -make a Novena to that blessed person, but I do not equally commend the -step which you propose to take; I fear that none but bad consequences will -result from it.' I replied, as I had done to many other of my friends, -'that I had the firmest confidence of a cure.' - -"I persevered constantly in this moral and physical disposition until the -moment when I was carried in a sedan chair into the church of the -Carmelites. I was brought there at five o'clock in the morning. I heard -mass, and communicated without quitting my chair. Towards the moment of -elevation I felt severe pains throughout my whole frame, and seemed to -myself to be in such a state of weakness that I then thought if I were to -be communicated it would have been for the last time. A cold sweat spread -itself at that time over my whole body. The priest who gave me the Holy -Sacrament noticed that I was so weak that I could not hold the cloth upon -my knees. He was so much afraid from the paleness of my countenance and -the alteration he perceived in me, that in fear of some accident he put -the sacred ciborium almost close to my lips. - -"Finding me in this painful state, which announced rather a speedy -dissolution than a cure, I formed acts of submission to the Will of God. I -begged Him to accept the sacrifice of my life; I also thrice made the -prayer of the blind man, 'Son of David, have mercy on me;' the while -interiorly, having lost my power of articulation. I remained in that state -till the end of the mass, and finding my strength recovering I called my -nurse, and begged her to go and see if the chapel in which the precious -remains of the Venerable Sister Marie de l'Incarnation were deposited was -open, having the design to be carried there. But O bounty and mercy of the -Lord! at the very moment the people were preparing I quitted the chair -myself; my nurse came hastily upon me to stop me, imagining that this -movement was a last effort of nature. I corrected her, saying that I -thanked her, but that thanks be to God! I had no need of her help, and -instantly after, on the steps of the altar, returned thanks after -communion; for I did not as yet perceive the change that was made in me. I -was not sensible of it till after having made my thanksgiving, which was -near a quarter of an hour after. I then raised myself from the ground -filled with joy and consolation, finding I had recovered the use of my -limbs; my breast and stomach at ease and devoid of pain, enjoying -tranquillity altogether wonderful. I first ascended the seven steps of the -altar; and then went to the grate of the choir and thanked the community -for the prayers that they had the goodness to offer up for me; requesting -them to add still further their thanks to mine. I then turned towards the -Blessed Sacrament, where I remained on my knees on the ground without any -support during the period of three masses, which were said in succession. -I afterwards heard high mass, and assisted at the entire Office of the -Day, without the noise of chaunting, of the instruments, nor the great -concourse of people, occasioning me the slightest inconvenience. Although -I had to answer in the course of the day to more than four thousand -persons attracted by the novelty of the circumstance to the church of the -Carmelites, on the afternoon of the same day I went on foot to visit the -Ursuline Dames. - -"Done at Compiègne on the 12th of Feb. 1792. - - (Signed) "Françoise-Geneviève-Philippe, - - "Called in religion 'Sr. Josephine of the Incarnation,' Religious - Carmelite of the Monastery of the City of Compiègne, in which I had - the happiness to enter on the 20th of December, 1786, and to pronounce - my holy and inviolable engagements on the 22nd of July, 1788." - -Another point bearing very directly on the subject of this chapter here -suggests itself for some brief consideration:-- - -Deeds of benediction have been so universally recognized in history, that -it may be credibly maintained that the custom originated in the earliest -ages of the World's existence, either by a direct revelation from Heaven -or by the most elementary religious instinct of the immediate descendants -of our first parents. The heads of tribes, after the Flood, blessed their -children and followers. And, when the Patriarchal dispensation drew -towards its close, the power of blessing was exercised by the leaders and -chiefs of God's chosen people. Proof of all this is on record in the -Sacred Writings. He, therefore, who runs may read. And we may gather from -the same source that a form of blessing was attached to the priest's -office;[47] and that such blessing was efficient. All this is of course -taken for granted under the Christian dispensation; and it is evident that -the various forms of sacerdotal benediction are true means of bestowing -the Divine blessing and grace: and this, because of the salient principle -that the Fall of man from original righteousness, having effected a loss -of union with God Almighty, salvation is the renewal of that union by and -through Jesus Christ and His Church. Now, a Blessing, in the Name of God, -is bestowed by a superior upon an inferior.[48] Thus a bishop gives his -benediction to a priest, deacon, or layman; a priest to a layman; a father -or head of a family to a son or an inferior member of that same family; a -patriarch or chieftain to his tribe, or to any member of it. The blessing -of God is a great and mighty gift of grace, and has always been intimately -conjoined with the offering of sacrifice, and so particularly and -specifically with the offering of the Christian sacrifice, as also with -and by a benediction, some of the most solemn services of Holy Church have -been brought to an end. - -Of course, if there be a power to bless, there is, as has already been -pointed out, likewise a power to curse. Neither blessing nor curse may be -absolute in their effect, and all acts and deeds are done under God, or -with the permission of the Almighty. Of the results respectively of -blessings or curses we know but little. But the glimpses which History, -Revealed Religion, and Experience alike afford of those results are full -of interest, and are subjects for contemplation and study. Here, as in the -consideration of similar details, concerning the Supernatural, the Church -Universal should be our guide. Where she leads we should go: where she -directs we should follow. - -As bearing on this subject, it may be suitably pointed out that Mr. Robert -Southey in his "Common-Place Book" puts on record a very remarkable story -of "citation" by a man unjustly and cruelly murdered:-- - -"The Philipsons of Colgarth coveted a field like Ahab, and had the -possessor hung for an offence which he had not committed. The night -before his execution the old man (for he was very old) read the 109th -Psalm as his solemn and dying commination, verses 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, -14, 15, and 16." The verses contain a prayer for vengeance upon "the -wicked and deceitful, who have spoken with a lying tongue," and whose days -are to be few, and their children to be fatherless, their descendants -continually vagabonds and beggars, and their posterity to be cut off. "The -curse," Southey adds, "was fully accomplished; the family were cut off, -and the only daughter who remained sold laces and bobbins about the -country." - -Two remarkable and, as may be well believed, supernatural events occurred -(which may be fittingly recorded here) with regard to the cruel and -shameful death of Edmund Arrowsmith, a Roman Catholic priest of the county -of Lancaster, in the year 1628. He was born at Haddock in the parish of -Winwick, five miles from Warrington and seven from Wigan. His father was -Robert Arrowsmith, a yeoman, and his mother Margaret Gerard, of the -ancient and noble family of that name. His immediate ancestors had -suffered much for their religion. Edmund, their son, having been received -into the College at Douay in 1605, was eventually ordained priest at Arras -on December 9th, 1612. A year afterwards he was sent to England to -minister to his fellow religionists. One of his flock being exasperated -against him because he refused to marry him to his first cousin and had -rebuked him for evil-living, informed against him to the vigilant -authorities; and Arrowsmith, being apprehended, was sent to Lancaster -Castle, "for not having taken the oaths, and upon vehement suspicion that -he was a priest and a jesuit." The judge on circuit was Sir Henry -Yelverton. - -"Are you a priest, sir?" asked the judge, when the accused person was -brought before him. - -Arrowsmith, signing himself with the cross, replied, "My lord, I would to -God I were worthy." - -On the judge repeating the question Arrowsmith replied coolly, "I would I -were." - -When the accused, in reply to a minister on the bench, suggested a -disputation regarding religion, and claimed to defend his Faith, the judge -silenced him at once, and declared that he would not allow him to make any -defence at all. - -"I am ready, my lord, bear in mind," replied Arrowsmith, "not only to -defend it in words, but in deeds, and to seal it with my blood." - -The judge then told him, in an insulting and savage manner, that he should -die, and see his bowels burnt before his very face. - -"And you too must die, my lord, and that within a year."[49] - -Two indictments were framed against him: one for being a priest and a -jesuit, and the other for disparaging Protestantism; on these he was found -guilty of high treason, and ordered to die according to the law. To the -gaoler of the prison, the sheriff brought express commands from the judge -to load him with the heaviest irons in the Castle, and to lodge him in a -small cell where he could not lie down. This occurred on the 26th of -August, 1628, and he suffered death on the 28th of the same month. He was -dragged on a hurdle from the Castle to the place of execution, having -received absolution from a fellow prisoner, Mr. Southworth, in the Castle -yard. He was bound on the hurdle, and for greater ignominy with his head -to the horse's tail. The gallows and boiling caldron were set up about a -quarter of a mile distant from the Castle. The devotion and piety of this -holy and zealous man were as remarkable as his constancy and -fortitude,--graces which edified those who witnessed his sad end. He -offered himself up as a sacrifice thrice: once upon his knees at the foot -of the ladder, again on the ladder, which he kissed, and a third time just -before the halter was fastened round his neck; and then prayed fervently, -"O Sweet Jesus, I freely offer Thee my death, in satisfaction for my -sins." Then he was cast off, suffered to hang until he was dead--an act -of mercy, by no means ordinary or common--cut down, disembowelled, and -quartered; his head being placed on a pole amongst the pinnacles of the -Castle. It is recorded that the judge being vexed and annoyed with the -clever and luminous answers which Arrowsmith made when under examination, -in the hearing of so many, appeared to take a special pleasure in viewing -the execution from his lodgings, through a perspective glass; that he had -the curiosity to examine the four quarters of his body, which, by his -command, being brought to his apartment, he made an unnatural and shocking -comparison between them and a haunch or two of venison with which he had -that day been presented; and that he deliberately kicked the right hand of -the body in contempt. On leaving the town he ordered the martyr's head to -be placed on a pole six yards higher than the pinnacles of the Castle. - -The judge, sitting at supper at an inn on January 23, 1629, upon return -from circuit, felt a heavy blow, as if someone had struck him on the back -of the head; upon which he fell into a violent rage with, and severely -rated, the servant who was waiting upon him; who protested that he had not -struck him, nor did he see anyone strike him. A little while afterwards, -the judge felt another blow like the first; and, as some records say, a -third just as the meal was being ended. The blows he himself evidently -thought to have come from the hand of divine justice, for he exclaimed in -fear and trepidation: "That dog Arrowsmith hath killed me."[50] In great -terror he was carried to bed, and dying the next morning, the prophecy of -the holy priest regarding his death was exactly fulfilled. - -As regards the Hand of the sufferer, it was procured and treasured up by -his relatives the Gerards: and the following remarkable occurrence is -connected with it. - -In the year 1813 a young man named Joseph Lamb, then residing at Eccles, -near Trafford Hall, about four miles from Manchester, fell from a rick of -considerable height to the ground, and received a violent injury in the -back. He was so injured that he could neither stand nor walk and suffered -very considerable pain; but after many attempts had been made by -physicians to give him relief and effect a cure, his case at a later stage -was unanimously pronounced to be incurable. In religion he was a Roman -Catholic, having been converted to that ancient faith from being an -Anabaptist--a sect to which his father still belonged. Local circumstances -had led to his investigating the martyrdom of the venerable priest, Edmund -Arrowsmith, who, as already recounted, gave up his life in the cause of -God at Lancaster, on the 28th of August, 1628. Of this holy man a Hand had -been long and carefully preserved at Sir William Gerard's, of Garswood, -near Wigan, where it was and is deservedly venerated and held in respect -by all Roman Catholics. The sufferer Lamb, finding that the skill and -power of man could do nothing for him, conceived a firm conviction that it -would please the Almighty to restore him to health by the instrumentality -of this relic, and he consequently most earnestly and systematically -prayed to God that it might be so. His parents consequently, in response -to his urgent entreaties, on October 2nd, 1814, had him conveyed in a -covered cart from his own house near Trafford Hall to Garswood, a distance -of fourteen miles.[51] In a state of considerable suffering, and quite -unable to assist himself, he was lifted out of the cart and carried into -the Roman Catholic chapel, where he was placed before the altar. Then the -"Holy Hand," as it is termed, was brought forth; the sacred sign of the -cross was solemnly made over the affected part of the poor suffering man's -back; when, in an instant, he felt freedom from pain and found his former -health and strength perfectly restored. He immediately rose, stood up for -some time in prayer, and then walked, without any assistance whatsoever, -to his relatives and friends who were gathered at the chief entrance of -the chapel. He returned home quite recovered and perfectly well, and so -remained, up to the 19th of September, 1816.[52] The result of this -miraculous intervention was that several of his kinsmen and acquaintances -became converts to the religion which he had elected to follow; and these, -together with many Roman Catholics who became acquainted with Almighty -God's merciful visitation of him, joined in a solemn act of thanksgiving, -by assembling to sing the _Te Deum_ in the chapel of Garswood.[53] - -Thus, then, we see the prophecy of a Christian priest, who was unjustly -and illegally condemned and cruelly murdered, exactly and most strikingly -fulfilled; and a wonderful sign bestowed from God to man of Eternal Truth, -in the supernatural cure wrought some two centuries and more afterwards -upon this Lancashire farm-labourer. - -Here something may be properly put on record, regarding cases in which -visible marks and tokens of the Passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus -Christ have been supernaturally and miraculously impressed upon God's -saints and servants, in order to set forth before the eyes of man, as a -matter of _sight_ and not as a matter of _faith_, the truth of the -Revelation of Almighty God, through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. - -The first recorded instance of stigmatization is that of S. Francis of -Assisi, in the thirteenth century. From the life of this distinguished -saint, written by S. Bonaventure (chapters xii. and xv.), we gather the -following particulars of these remarkable phenomena. - -It was the custom of the saint, from time to time, to retire into the -solitudes of Mount Alverna, in the Apennines, in order the more easily to -give himself up to prayer and meditation. "While fasting there for forty -days, being in prayer, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, -and feeling within his soul an intense desire to be crucified with his -Lord, he beheld, descending from heaven towards him, a seraph, having six -wings as it were of fire.[54] When the celestial messenger came near to -him, there appeared between the wings the form of One crucified, with the -hands and feet stretched out upon the cross. Two wings rose above the -head, two were spread forth in flight, while the others veiled the whole -body." Francis felt a great joy at the apparition, and yet, at the same -time, a deep sorrow at beholding Him Whom his soul loved, so cruelly -fastened to the Cross, the thought of which pierced his heart as with a -sword of grief. It was presently revealed to him that he was to imitate -the Passion of our Lord. - -"The vision disappearing, his soul was filled with heavenly light, while a -marvellous sign was left imprinted on his limbs. On his hand and feet were -the marks of the nails, as he had beheld in the seraphic vision, and on -his right side was a wound, as if made by a lance's thrust. His hands and -feet appeared transfixed with the nails, their heads being seen in the -upper part of the feet, and the points on the reverse sides. The heads of -these nails were round and black, and the points somewhat long and bent, -as if turned back; so that between them and the skin there was the space -of a finger. They could be moved with ease; for on the one side they were -embedded in the flesh, whilst on the other they were clear of it: yet it -was not possible to draw them out, as we are assured by S. Clare, who, -after the saint's death, essayed to do so, but could not succeed. The -wound in the side was deep, and of the width of three fingers. It was red, -and the saint's habit was often stained by the blood which flowed from -it." - -These stigmata were seen during his life by the reigning Pope Alexander -with many of his cardinals; and after his death, by more than fifty -brethren together, by S. Clare and many of her sisters, and an innumerable -crowd of seculars, who came from all parts of the country to be witnesses -of these wonders. - -At the close of the seventeenth century, another case of stigmatization -occurred to Veronica Juliana, a nun; and her examination by the bishop of -her diocese, aided by several physicians, was of so strict and severe a -character, that deception on her part would have been quite impossible. - -In the early part of the same century, Joanna di Jesu Maria, a Spanish -nun, was subjected to even a more rigorous examination, before a court -composed of the Commissary of the Inquisition, the Suffragan Bishop, -several of the secular and regular clergy of the district, of many learned -men, and two distinguished physicians. In this case, the subject of the -phenomena bore not only the wounds on her hands, feet, and side, from -which blood and water frequently flowed, but also around her head, as from -the crown of thorns, a deep wound, which, in the opinion of the doctors, -penetrated to the skull. They, furthermore, declared by oath that the -wounds were not natural, and could not possibly be the effect of fraud. - -The most celebrated subjects of stigmata in our own days are Maria Mörl, -the Ecstatica of Caldamo, in the Tyrol, and Maria Domenica Lazzari, a -peasant girl of Capriana, whose cases were brought before the English -public by that late distinguished nobleman John, Earl of Shrewsbury, A. L. -M. P. De Lisle, Esq.,[55] the Rev. T. W. Allies, and others. - -The following account of Maria Mörl is abridged from that of Görres, in -his work on the Supernatural, entitled "Christliche Mystik," which, -perhaps, is the most complete and detailed description published. After -giving a brief sketch of her life, which tells us that she was a girl of -great piety, also that at the age of eighteen she became a confirmed -invalid, and after receiving Holy Communion she always remained in an -ecstasy for several hours, we read, that "in the autumn of 1833, her -Confessor, Father Capistran, had by chance noticed that the parts of her -hands where the wounds afterwards appeared had begun to form in hollows, -as though impressed by some external substance, the parts, at the same -time, becoming the seat of considerable pain, accompanied by frequent -cramps." Soon afterwards, the wounds appeared on the hands, feet, and -side. On Thursdays and Fridays these places often ran with clear blood, -and were covered on other days with a scar of dried blood, without showing -any signs of inflammation. "In 1834, on the occasion of a solemn -procession, a new phase of her ecstasy developed itself, and one day -surprised her in the presence of several witnesses, when she was -transfigured with an angelic beauty, radiant and glorious as a heavenly -spirit, her arms extended to their extreme width in the form of a cross, -and her feet barely seeming to touch the bed on which she reposed. All -around could then plainly perceive the mysterious stigmata, and the matter -could no longer remain a secret." - -Of Maria Domenica Lazzari, who was born March 16th, 1815, and whose case -is no less remarkable than the above, Mr. Allies, then a clergyman of the -Church of England, wrote the following account, twenty-five years -ago:--"In August, 1833, she had an illness, not in the first instance of -an extraordinary nature; but it took the form of an intermittent fever, -confining her completely to her bed, and finally contracting the nerves of -her hands and feet so as to cripple them. On the 10th of January, 1834, -she received on her hands, feet, and left side, the marks of our Lord's -Five Wounds.... Three weeks afterwards, her family found her in the -morning covering her face in a state of great delight,--a sort of trance. -On removing the handkerchief, letters were found on it marked in blood, -and Domenica's brow had a complete impression of the crown of thorns, in a -line of small punctures about a quarter of an inch apart, from which the -blood was flowing freshly. They asked her who had torn her so. She -replied, 'A very fair lady had come in the night and adorned her.'... -From the time that she first received the stigmata, in January, 1834, to -the present time (account published in 1847), the wounds have bled every -Friday, with a loss of from one to two ounces of blood, beginning early in -the morning, and on Friday only. The above information (Mr. Allies -declares) we received from Signor Yoris, a surgeon of Cavalese, the chief -village of the district in which Capriana lies." - -Two additional and quite recent examples of stigmatization, most perfectly -and satisfactorily authenticated, demand to have the facts which are known -and admitted here set forth. The first is as follows:-- - -On the 30th January, 1850, was born at Bois d'Haine, a village in the -province of Hainaut, in Belgium, Anne Louise Lateau, the daughter of -Gregory and Adèle Lateau. The family, though of humble condition, were at -the time in tolerably comfortable circumstances. The father was employed -as a workman in a neighbouring metal factory, and the cottage in which -they dwelt, together with the land on which it stood, was their own -property. But a sad change soon took place. On the 30th April, 1850, -Gregory Lateau died of small-pox, leaving the mother and three children -(the infant Louise and two little girls of two and three years of age) -unprovided for. To add to their distress, the widow Lateau was seriously -ill, and the infant had caught the small-pox. Abandoned by all, they were -in danger of perishing of starvation had they not been relieved by the -timely aid of a charitable neighbour. It was a long time, however, before -the mother's health was sufficiently restored to enable her to better -their condition by her own exertions. When eight years old, Louise was -sent to take charge of an old woman confined to her bed, and almost as -poor as themselves. She afterwards received five months' schooling, which -is all the education she has ever had. At eleven years old, having made -her first communion, she went as a servant to her aunt, with whom she -remained until her death, which occurred two years later. Her next -situation was with a lady at Brussels, but she was obliged to leave -through illness. On her recovery, she was again employed in a farm at -Manage, where she remained till called home by her mother, with whom she -has since lived, working as a dressmaker. With regard to her moral -character, one of its most important features is charity. During the -ravages of the cholera in Belgium, in 1866, she gave examples of the most -heroic devotedness--nursing the sick when their own relations had fled in -dismay, laying out the dead, and, in some instances, even conveying them -to the cemetery. For the rest, she is of a cheerful disposition, simple -and straightforward in her manner, possessed of good sense, without -smartness or enthusiasm. Owing to the small amount of instruction she has -received, her education is limited, but has been much improved by her own -exertions. She speaks French with tolerable fluency, but is unable to -write correctly or read with ease. The mother of Louise is fifty-eight -years of age, of a frank and outspoken character, upright and religious. -Though poor, she refuses to receive any pecuniary assistance, and -manifests great reluctance to the introduction of the numerous visitors -attracted to her cottage from all parts of the world by the wonderful -accounts respecting her daughter. We now come to the consideration of -those phenomena which for nearly six years have been exciting such -universal interest. On Friday, the 24th April, 1868, manifestations of an -extraordinary character commenced with a flow of blood from the chest. The -young girl, with her accustomed reserve, made no mention of the fact; but -as on successive Fridays the bleeding extended to the feet and hands, -concealment became no longer possible. The phenomenon, as it now appears, -is thus described by Dr. Lefebvre:-- - -"If in the course of the week, from Saturday to Thursday morning, an -inspection is made of the parts from which blood flows on the Friday, this -is what is seen:--On the back of each hand there is a rather oval surface, -nearly one inch in length. It is rather more pink in colour, and it is -smoother than the neighbouring skin, and does not show a trace of oozing -of any kind. On the palm of each hand there is also an oval surface of a -light pink colour, corresponding precisely to the stigmatized surface of -the back. On the upper aspect of each foot, the impress has the shape of a -long square with rounded angles, the square being a little more than an -inch long. To conclude, there are on the soles of the feet, as on the -palms of the hands, small surfaces of pinkish white colour. - -"... The first symptoms indicative of the approaching efflux of blood -occur on the Thursday, generally about noon. On each of the pink surfaces -already described on the hands and feet, a vesicle is seen to commence, -and to rise little by little. When completely developed, it is a rounded -hemispherical prominence on the surface of the skin; its base is the same -size as the pink surface on which it rests--that is, nearly an inch long, -by a little more than half an inch broad. This vesicle is formed by the -epidermis detached from the dermis, and elevated as a half sphere by -serous liquid within." - -We again quote some of the medical details:-- - -"The phenomenon occurs thus:--The vesicle bursts, and the contained -serosity escapes. This occurs in different ways--sometimes by a rent -lengthways, sometimes by a crucial or a triangular division. In the last -case, the rupture of the vesicle suggests the puncture of a leech; but -this is a mere resemblance, to prove which it is enough to ascertain the -entire absence on the hands and feet of those three-cornered white and -indelible scars which always follow leech-bites. But a still more -decisive observation is that this triangular rent only divides the -epidermis; in fact, if this be removed by rubbing with a cloth, the little -wound is no longer seen, and the true skin is found to be quite intact. -Directly after the rupture of the vesicle and the escape of the fluid, -blood begins to ooze from the bare derma. - -"The flow of blood always detaches the piece of scarf-skin that makes the -vesicle, so that the bleeding surface of the true skin is quite bare; -sometimes, however--and especially on the palms of the hands and the soles -of the feet, where the epidermis is very tough--the blood collects, and -forms a clot in the partly-torn vesicle."[56] - -The general appearance of the wound in the side on Friday is as -follows:--The blood issues from three small points of a triangular form at -the distance of half an inch from each other. A vesicle has also been -observed similar to those upon the hands and feet. On its bursting, the -blood flowed through the derma or thick skin over a round surface of the -diameter of about half an inch. - -The bleeding on the forehead commenced on Friday, the 25th September, -1868, and, at the present time,[57] takes place every week, and has -extended round the whole of the head. The bleeding circlet on the forehead -forms a band of two fingers' breadth in width, and the blood oozes from -twelve or fifteen points. There is no appearance of vesicle, nor is the -skin discoloured. - -The second extraordinary account of a young girl, who is now marked with -the stigmata, is furnished by the Rev. F. Prendergast, of San -Francisco:[58]-- - -"Miss Collins was born in England; both her parents are Roman Catholics. -About two years and a half ago she was a pupil at the Convent of Notre -Dame. On her return to this city she left her father's home, and with a -friend, Miss Armer, commenced the practice of charitable acts--visiting -the sick, clothing the destitute, and instructing little children. Many of -the charitable persons of the city co-operate with Miss Collins, Miss -Armer, and an elderly lady who keeps house for them, in their good works. -The archbishop approved of this semi-religious order, and has paid the -house rent of these ladies since they began this practice. Miss Collins -has always been in delicate health, and has frequently received the last -sacraments of the Church, given to those in a dying condition. She has had -periodical attacks of heart disease, and intense pulmonary congestion. -Soon after Miss Collins and Miss Armer entered upon their charitable and -self-denying duties, the former was prostrated by a return of her -complaint. She recovered but slowly and imperfectly, and on January 2nd, -at the children's festival in the basement of S. Mary's Cathedral, she was -seized with a most violent attack. She was taken to her residence; and two -or three days afterwards was again seized with congestion of the lungs, -followed by congestion of the brain. The attending physician, herself, and -all her friends were convinced that there was no hope of her recovery. She -took leave of those who stood by her bedside, and made her final -preparations for death. On Wednesday, January 8th, she was all day in -convulsions.... Towards six o'clock she grew better, but on the night of -the third day became speechless, and was compelled to write her wants and -wishes in pencil. - -"At twelve o'clock that night, Miss Armer and the nurse, who watched by -her bedside, believed her to be dying, if not dead. They recited the -prayers for the departing soul, and held the blessed candle by her hand, -according to the custom of the Church. Presently Miss Collins closed her -eyes and drew a long breath. They then believed her to be dead; but to -their utter amazement and bewilderment she revived, and made signs that -she wished to write. They gave her the pencil and paper, and she wrote as -follows: 'Put three drops of the water from the font of Our Lady of La -Salette in my mouth, and say three Hail Maries with me before the -crucifix.' They complied with the instructions, and perceived that she -joined mentally in the recital of the prayers. As soon as ended, she -reached out her hands for the crucifix, and kissed, with an expression of -great devotion, the Five Wounds of our Blessed Saviour. She then intimated -that she wished to have a little water. They gave her some, and she -immediately rose up and declared, with a beaming and heavenly countenance, -that she was cured; and she called on her companions, Miss Armer and the -nurse, to join her in saying the rosary for the sick. She wished to -recite the principal parts of the devotion herself, but yielding to the -request of Miss Armer, only made the responses in a clear and loud voice. -She then requested her companions to retire, but seeing they had some -objections, told them she would set the example. She laid down quietly, -and slept without motion or sign till morning, when she ate heartily, and -seemed quite restored to health. Since then she has never for a moment -suffered from any of those diseases to which she had been before a victim, -and which had more than once brought her to death's door. - -"On being questioned about her recovery, she stated to her confessor, her -companions, and others of her friends, that immediately previous to her -recovery the Blessed Virgin spoke to her in a voice clear and musical, but -as if it were coming from afar, directing her what to do in order to -obtain her health, approving her manner of life, and giving her some -counsels for her own guidance. Her recovery was regarded by all conversant -with the facts as being a miraculous one; and, contrasting her subsequent -excellent health with her former miserable condition, there seems to be no -reason to doubt but that she was saved by the merciful interposition of -the Supreme Power of God. - -"After some weeks she experienced, without any assignable natural cause, -an intense pain in her temples, which caused her indescribable anguish. -These sufferings suddenly passed away, but in the course of some days -returned with equal violence. So far there were no perceptible marks on -any portion of her body, but during her sufferings on the Feast of the -Five Wounds of our Lord she felt an acute pain in her head, her side, in -both hands, and in both feet. On the Friday before Good Friday, the Feast -of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin, she experienced pains in the -same parts, and on that day the stigmata, or marks of our Saviour's -Wounds, became clearly visible on the backs of her hands, and blood oozed -from her left side, near the heart. - -"Several persons witnessed the stigmata on this occasion, but were loth to -reveal the fact, preferring to await further developments. That night the -pains passed away, and her usual health returned. On Holy Thursday the -same sufferings were experienced, commencing in the afternoon and becoming -very intense during Thursday night. On Friday the stigmata appeared on the -surfaces of both hands and on the upper surface of both feet. Blood also -oozed from her side. During the day her sufferings were indescribable, and -were witnessed by a large number of people.[59] The stigmata and -suffering continued unabated until twelve o'clock on Friday night, when -she suddenly experienced some relief, and was able, for the first time in -twenty-four hours, to take a little water. On the next day she attended -divine service in church, and has since been in the enjoyment of excellent -health. The marks of the stigmata remain on her hands and side. She has -never, at any time during her sufferings, been unconscious, except when -they were so intense as to cause momentary delirium. She prayed -continually, and her countenance, ordinarily indicating extreme agony, -occasionally relaxed into a sweet and heavenly smile. At times her hands -were extended in the form of a crucifix, and became so rigid in that -position that it was impossible to move them."[60] - -As serving still further to illustrate the subject of this chapter, it -should be known that Dr. John Milner, F.S.A., Vicar Apostolic of the -Midland District of England (a prelate eminent both for his high character -and great literary ability), records a supernatural cure, the subject of -which was personally known to himself. - -"On March 15, 1809, Mary Wood, living at Taunton Lodge, near Taunton, in -Somersetshire, in attempting to open a sash-window, pushed her left hand -through a pane of glass, which caused a very large and deep transverse -wound in the inside of the left arm, and divided the muscles and nearly -the whole of the tendons that lead to the hand; from which accident she -not only suffered at times the most acute pain, but was, from the period -the bishop saw her [March 15, 1809], until some time in July, totally -deprived of the use of her hand and arm."[61] What passed between the -latter end of July, when, as the surgeon states, "he left his patient with -no hope of her recovery or of restoring her," until the 6th of August, on -the night of which she was miraculously cured, can be gathered from a -Letter to Bishop Milner, dated November 19th, 1809, by her amanuensis Miss -Maria Hornyold, of the ancient family of that name: - -"The surgeon gave little or no hopes of the girl ever again having the use -of her hand; which, together with the arm, seemed withered and somewhat -contracted; only saying [that] in some years Nature might give her some -little use of it, which was considered by her superior as a mere delusive -comfort. Despairing of further human assistance toward her cure, she -determined, with the approbation of her said superiors, to have recourse -to God, through the intercession of S. Winifred by a Novena.[62] -Accordingly on the 6th of August she put a piece of moss from the Saint's -Well on her arm, continuing recollected and praying, &c., when, to her -great surprise, the next morning she found that she could dress herself, -put her arm behind her, and to her head, having regained the free use and -full strength of it. In short, she was perfectly cured." - -So much for this portion of Miss Hornyold's narrative. Now, reverting to -Bishop Milner, his testimony to the fact of the cure having been effected -is here set forth: - -"In this state I myself saw her a few years afterwards, when I examined -her hand; and in the same state she still continues, at the above-named -place, with many other highly credible vouchers, who are ready -respectively to attest these particulars." - -The conclusion of Miss Hornyold's Letter is as follows: - -"On the 16th of the month the surgeon was sent for, and being asked his -opinion concerning Mary Wood's arm, he gave _no hope of a perfect cure_, -and little of her ever having _even the least use of it_; when she, being -introduced to him and showing him the arm, which he thoroughly examined -and tried, he was so affected at the sight and the recital of the manner -of the cure, as to shed tears, and exclaim, 'It is a special interposition -of Divine Providence.'" - -The case of Winifred White, a young woman of Wolverhampton, suddenly and -miraculously cured, is not less important and interesting:--"The disease -from which she was suffering," writes Bishop Milner, "was one of the most -alarming of a topical nature of any that is known, namely a curvature of -the spine, as the physician and surgeon ascertained, who treated it -accordingly, by making two great issues, one on each side of the spine, of -which the marks are still imprinted on the patient's back. Secondly, that -besides the most acute pains throughout the whole nervous system, and -particularly in the brain, this disease of the spine produced a -_hemiplegia_, or palsy of one side of the patient, so that when she could -feebly crawl, with the help of a crutch under her right arm, she was -forced to drag her left leg and arm after her, just as if they constituted -no part of her body. Thirdly, that her disorder was of long continuance, -namely, of three years' standing, though not in the same degree till the -latter part of that time, and that it was publicly known to all her -neighbours and a great many others. Fourthly, that having performed the -acts of devotion which she felt herself called upon to undertake, and -having bathed in the fountain [at Holywell in Flintshire], she, _in one -instant of time_, on the 28th of June, 1805, found herself freed from all -pains and disabilities, so as to be able to walk, run, and jump like any -other young person, and to carry a greater weight with the left arm than -with the right. Fifthly, that she has continued in this state these -thirteen years, down to the present time; and that all the above-mentioned -circumstances have been ascertained by me in the regular examination of -the several witnesses of them, in the places of their respective -residences, namely in Staffordshire, Lancashire, and Wales, they being -persons of different counties, no less than of different religions and -situation of life."[63] - -The result of a solemn Curse, made in the Name of Almighty God, by one who -had been greatly and grievously wronged, is recorded and not unsuitably -here, it is hoped, in the following remarkable narrative--one fresh -evidence of the existence of the Supernatural amongst us, had we only eyes -to see and ears to hear. - -The younger son of a Nova Scotia baronet, under promise of marriage, -betrayed the only surviving daughter of a Northumbrian yeoman of ancient -and respectable family, nearly allied to a peer, so created in William the -Fourth's reign. She was a person of rare beauty and of considerable -accomplishments, having received an education of a very superior character -in Edinburgh. After her betrayal she was deserted by her lover, who fled -abroad. The night before he left, however, at her earnest request, he met -her in company with a friend with the avowed intention of promising -marriage in the future, when his family (as he declared) might be less -averse to it. After-events show that this was merely an empty promise, and -that he had no intention of fulfilling it. A long discussion took place -between the girl and her betrayer, in the presence of the female friend in -question, a first cousin of her father. High words, strong phrases, and -sharp upbraidings were uttered on both sides; until at last the young man -in cruel and harsh language, turning upon her fiercely, declared that he -would never marry her at all, and held himself, as he maintained, -perfectly free to wed whom he should choose. "You will be my certain -death," she exclaimed, "but death will be more welcome than life." "Die -and be ----," he replied. At this the girl, with a wail of agony, swooned -away. On her recovery she seemed to gather up her strength to pronounce a -Curse upon him and his. It was spoken in the Name of the One Living and -True God. She uttered it with deliberation, yet with wildness and -bitterness, maintaining that she was his wife, and would haunt him to the -day of his death; declaring at the same time to her relation present, "And -you shall be the witness." He left the place of meeting without any -reconciliation or kind word, and, it was believed, went abroad. In less -than five months, in giving birth to her child, she died, away from her -home, and was buried with it (for the child, soon after its baptism, died -likewise) in a village churchyard near Ambleside. Neither stone nor -memorial marks the grave. Her father, a widower, wounded to the quick by -the loss of his only daughter, pined away and soon followed her to his -last resting-place. - -Five years had passed and the female cousin of the old yeoman, being -possessed of a competency, had gone to live in London, when, on a certain -morning in the spring of the year 1842, she was passing by a church in the -west end, where, from the number of carriages waiting, she saw that a -marriage was being solemnized. She felt mysteriously and instinctively -drawn to look in. On doing so, and pressing forwards towards the altar, -she beheld to her astonishment, the very man, somewhat altered and -weather-worn, who had caused so much misery to her relations, being -married (as on inquiring she discovered) to the daughter of a rich city -merchant. This affected her deeply, bringing back the saddest memories of -the past. But, as the bridal party were passing out of the church, and she -pushed forward to look, and be quite sure that she had made no mistake, -both herself and the bridegroom at one moment saw an apparition of her -relation, the poor girl whom he had ruined, dressed in white, with flowing -hair and a wild look, holding up in both hands her little infant. Both -seemed perfectly natural in appearance and to be of ordinary flesh and -blood. There was no mistaking her certain identity. This occurred in the -full sunshine of noon and under a heavy Palladian Porch in the presence of -a crowd. The bridegroom turned deathly pale in a moment, trembled -violently, and then, staggering, fell forward down the steps. This -occasioned a vast stir and sensation amongst the crowd. It seemed -incomprehensible. The bridegroom, said the church officials in answer to -inquiries, was in a fit. He was carried down the steps and taken in the -bridal carriage to his father-in-law's house. But it was reported that he -never spoke again; and this fact is mentioned in a contemporary -newspaper-account of the event. Anyhow his marriage and death appeared in -the same number of one of the daily papers. And although the family of the -city merchant knew nothing of the apparition, what is thus set forth was -put on record by the lady in question, who knew the mysterious -circumstances in all their details; which record is reasonably believed by -her to afford at once a signal example of retributive justice and a marked -piece of evidence of the Supernatural. Names, for obvious reasons, are not -mentioned here. The truth of this narrative, however, was affirmed on -oath by the lady in question, before two justices of the peace, at -Windsor, on October 3, 1848, one of whom was a beneficed clergyman in the -diocese of Oxford, well known to the Editor of this volume,--to whom this -record was given, in the year 1857 (when he was assistant-minister of -Berkeley Chapel), by a lady of rank who worshipped there. - -Here, accounts of two cases of miraculous cure through and by the Blessed -Sacrament will be suitably and fittingly introduced. The first is from the -pen of a well-known mission-preacher of the Church of England, and -occurred in the diocese of London: the second, equally remarkable, took -place in the diocese of Metz. - -The introductory remarks, so full of truth and piety, which immediately -precede the first narrative, have an equal bearing on that which follows. -Both are instances of God's extraordinary mercy and goodness to the -children of men. - -"The Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord works its effects -not only on the soul of man, but also on his body. We need not be -surprized at this, for if the body is affected by the soul, so that a -person depressed in mind often falls sick in body; and, on the contrary, -if good spirits are of great use in preserving bodily health--as indeed we -frequently see,--if this be the case, may we not expect that the -Sacrament, which only reaches the soul through the body, will have some -influence on that body through which they are transmitted. The Blessed -Sacrament, then, when worthily received, affects the body in three ways. -First, it tends to moderate what is called 'concupiscence,' that is those -natural appetites and desires of the body which dwell in the flesh and -tempt to sin. And this we learn from the words of the prayer of Humble -Access in the Communion Service--that our sinful bodies may be made clean -by His Body. - -"Secondly, the Blessed Sacrament gives to our bodies glory in the Day of -the Resurrection. - -"Our Lord says, 'He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood hath -Eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the last day.' Not that all men -will not rise from the dead at that day, but that the wicked will rise -with hideous bodies, and the righteous only with bodies like unto our -Lord's own Body; whilst the glory also of those who are saved will differ -one from another. And so S. Paul writes, 'One star differeth from another -star in glory.' - -"Thirdly, the Blessed Sacrament sometimes works the cure of sick persons -who receive it with faith. Of course this is not often the case, for if -miracles were common they would cease to be miracles. Moreover, there is -but little faith now-a-days, and even when our Lord walked in the flesh -there were some places in which He did not do many mighty works because of -their unbelief. Also He worked bodily cures the rather during His earthly -ministry; because when He gives these more excellent gifts it is less -necessary for Him to show this power by miracles of healing. It pleases -Him however, sometimes even now, to cure bodily sickness by his bodily -touch, and a case of this sort we will now relate:-- - -"I. Two or three years ago there lived in one of our great cities a poor -woman of devotion and faith. She attended a church where the Holy -Eucharist was frequently celebrated, and the true faith believingly -taught. She received the faith gladly, and lived up to it, communicating -regularly and with devotion. It befell her, however, to be taken with -sickness, which brought on lockjaw, so that she could not eat, and only -small portions of nourishment could be given her through an opening in her -teeth. She was in this state several days, looking forward to certain -death. - -"At last, thinking more of the suffering which her loss would bring upon -her family than upon any fear of death in her own heart, she said to her -husband, 'Surely, the Lord Jesus is very merciful and would restore me to -health if we were to ask Him. For how dreadful would it be for the poor -children to be left without a mother! I have heard of a woman who was -cured of a sickness by our Lord when the doctors gave her up. Why should -we not ask Him to cure me?' Thus she spoke, and her husband agreed with -her, that they would ask this of the Lord. - -"The priest of the church which they attended was visiting the poor -woman, and next time he came she told him of what she had thought, and -asked whether it would be wrong to pray for this object. Seeing the faith -of the poor people, he could not say anything against it, only exhorting -them to be ready to accept the Will of the Lord whatever it might be. 'It -is not wrong,' said he, 'to pray to the Lord for restoration to health, so -long as we add, "Not my will but Thine be done."' - -"Accordingly he arranged that they should have a special Celebration of -the Blessed Sacrament with that intention--to ask of our Lord the cure of -the poor mother. The time was fixed. The woman was to be present herself, -and to communicate, and the priest promised to ask some other devout -people to attend and unite in prayer for the same object. - -"At the hour appointed the priest was at the altar, a little body of -devout persons was gathered in the church, and the poor woman was brought -there, suffering, but still with good hope. The service proceeded; the -prayer of Consecration was said; the Lamb of God was upon the altar, and -the priest pleaded the one true and perfect and all-sufficient Sacrifice -on behalf of the poor sufferer, and prayed for her recovery, as did also -herself and her friends. Having communicated himself, the priest brought -the Holy Sacrament to the woman, giving her only a small particle, such as -she could receive between her teeth, and then the chalice of the Lord's -Blood. The faithful now communicated; the remainder of the service was -said, the Priest gave the Peace and Blessing, and the last Amen was said. -Then the woman fell down in a sort of swoon; but it only lasted a short -time, for presently she got up, opened her mouth, and said, 'I am quite -well.' Yes! The Lord had heard her. We were astonished with joy, and -joined in hearty thanksgiving to God for the miracle which he had wrought. -The woman walked home, to the great delight of her family, and was able to -return to her ordinary work. - -"A fortnight after the event, the writer of this narrative[64] saw the -woman, and heard from her own lips, as well as from the Priest, the -account of the miracle, which he has related as nearly as he can remember -it. - -"We are not to be anxious for miracles, nor to crave after signs; but when -it pleases God to work such as this, it seems to be right for His glory, -and for the dignity of the Most Holy Sacrament, that His mercy should be -made known; and is it not joy to every faithful heart, that the Lord -should manifest His power over all His works, and show to men His tender -compassion of the sick and suffering?" - -II. The second case is thus related. It bears a remarkable similarity to -that just set forth:-- - -"Anne de Cléry, the subject of the extraordinary cure about to be -recorded, was at school in the Convent of the Sacred Heart, at Metz, in -the year 1855. She was then thirteen years of age, and her health and -spirits good. Previously she had lived two years in Africa, where her -father still resides,[65] and occupies the post of Notary-General to the -Imperial Court at Algiers. Madame de Cléry's health having suffered from -the climate, she returned to Metz with her two daughters, the youngest of -whom--Anne--was very uneasy about her mother's health, and prayed -fervently for her recovery, offering herself to suffer the pains of -sickness in her stead. Anne's illness, which was of a very distressing -nature, commenced in the Holy Week of 1856, and continued steadily to -increase, in spite of the prescriptions of the first physicians at Metz, -Aix in Savoy, and Paris. Remedies of every possible kind--some of them of -a terribly severe character--were tried, but without the smallest result, -except to increase the sufferings of the poor patient. The Paris -physician, at length (in the year 1857), pronounced her case to be -incurable. He says: 'Mdlle. Anne is labouring under the disease known by -the name of "muscular and atrophical paralysis." I very much apprehend -that no remedies can touch the disease.' The sufferings of the poor girl -were continuous and severe. Her limbs were deprived of power and strength; -they shrank and contracted, and the muscles under each knee produced a -sort of knot which no power on earth could untie. She would be, as far as -man could foresee, a cripple as long as she lived. Anne de Cléry was, -however, resigned to the Will of God, and supported her heavy trial by a -deep piety and constant prayer. At times her faith suggested the -possibility of a miraculous cure; but she scarcely hoped or wished for -such a wonderful favour. She had a particular devotion to the Blessed -Sacrament; and every week the priest brought her the Holy Communion, which -was her greatest support and consolation. She employed her time, when -able, though in the recumbent position, and unable to lift her head, in -embroidering altar-cloths, and making artificial flowers for the adornment -of the sanctuary. It was while thus preparing for the devotion known as -'the Forty Hours' Adoration' in the parochial church of S. Martin at Metz, -in the year 1865, that the thought sometimes crossed her mind that she -might be cured by the Blessed Sacrament. But she was slow to encourage an -idea which might be an illusion, and deprive her of her resignation and -peace of mind. The devotion above mentioned was to take place on the 12th, -13th, and 14th of June. On the first two days it was impossible to carry -her to the church (whither she had not been taken for a long while), her -pains were so severe; but on the third day, with the greatest difficulty, -and at the cost of much suffering, after having received Communion, she -was carried to the church by her maid Clémentine, who sat on a bench and -held her on her knees. Madame de Cléry and Mdlle. de Coetlosquet knelt -close beside her; but neither Anne nor her friends were expecting the -extraordinary event about to follow. - -"After a few moments' rest Anne became absorbed in devotion, and prayed as -she often did at the moment of Communion: 'Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst -cure me.' At the same instant she felt so violent a pain in her whole -body, that it was all she could do not to scream out. She prayed for -strength to bear it, and resigned herself to God's will. Then, she says, -she felt filled with faith and hope, and became conscious that she was -cured. Anne threw herself immediately upon her knees and said to her -companions, 'Pray, pray; I am cured!' Madame de Cléry overcome with -emotion, in a state of bewilderment, led her daughter out of the church, -scarcely believing the evidence of her senses when she saw her standing -alone and able to walk. She ascertained that the knots under her -daughter's knees had entirely disappeared; and then Anne returned to the -church, where she remained kneeling in praise and thanksgiving before the -Blessed Sacrament for three-quarters of an hour, without feeling the least -fatigue. - -"Her cure was complete; all the ailments that had afflicted her -disappeared, leaving behind no trace of illness. Eleven days after her -cure, Anne walked through the streets of Metz in a procession of the -Blessed Sacrament, which lasted an hour and a quarter, to the astonishment -and admiration of all who had known her former sad condition. Her -physician, when he saw her rise and walk to meet him, said, 'Mademoiselle, -what men could not effect, God has done.'"[66] - -The Editor has been furnished with many similar accounts; some coming -before him on slender testimony: others on testimony which it is -impossible either to weaken or to reject. In some cases strange and -supernatural events which have occurred of late years--beautiful glimpses -of the unseen world--are treasured up by those who were the direct -subjects of them, though considerable difficulty is experienced in -obtaining such satisfactory attestations of their authentication, (owing -to the fact that persons naturally shrink from publicity,) as would -warrant their appearance in this volume. - -Before this chapter is closed, however, it may be well to add the -following, from the pen of an English clergyman well known to the Editor, -which possess some inherent interest: - -"This passed under my own eyes a few weeks back. A little child, three -years old, daughter of highly-respectable but poor parents, was -accidentally burnt to death--fell upon the grate, and lingered only some -two hours, it might have been supposed in frightful tortures. Her mother, -who blamed herself for leaving the child even for a moment, seemed in -imminent danger of losing her reason, and was in a state of terrible -despair. The little one raised herself to say, 'Mother, don't cry! I'm -going to die;' and then pointing, added, '_Don't you see that Good Man who -stands there and waits for me?_' This from a child of three years old. - -"Let those who choose, elect to believe that this was an optical delusion: -those who honestly believe that the angels of little children do behold -His Father's face, and doubt not that angels minister to the heirs of -salvation, will probably arrive at a different conclusion."[67] - -Here is another remarkable case of the Supernatural, provided by the same -clergyman:-- - -"A lady of my acquaintance, a woman of great intellectual powers, with a -keenly satirical and inquiring mind, chastened, however, by Christian -faith and love--a most devout communicant--was the voucher of these facts. - -"Retiring to rest some years ago, late at night, she happened, on her way -to her room, to look out of a window which opened on a court behind the -house. To her surprise (she was not in the least a superstitious person, -nor had her mind been travelling in a ghostly direction), she saw standing -beneath the window, in the full rays of the moonlight, the figure of a -child in white clothing, the arms crossed in prayer, the face inclining -forward, with a kind of white cowl or head-covering, from the body of -which child rays seemed to pass. She was not terrified, but amazed; and -after gazing fixedly some little while, during which the figure did not -move, she went to her room, and sent the nurse down to fetch something, -where she would be likely to see the figure, without saying anything about -it to her. The nurse returned speedily, white with fear, saying, 'Ma'am, -did you see that wonderful thing all shining?' The lady inquired what she -meant. The servant's impressions were identical with her own. Neither of -them went to look again; but the lady thought within herself, that this -might be a warning sent from God to prepare her for the death of an elder -child, a daughter, whose figure and bearing, she thought, resembled that -of the child enshrouded in white linen in the yard; and she consequently -entertained a dread that that daughter might be taken from her. This did -not prove the case; but as another younger child--the very darling of the -mother's heart, and an infant at the time of this singular -apparition--grew older, the idea was _borne in_ strongly upon the lady's -mind, that that younger child would be taken from her about the time when -it attained the apparent age and stature of the mysterious visitant, who -seemed to be a little girl of about five years old. This, doubtless, might -be a fancy only: she had not seen the face, only the figure; and when this -dear little one--a peculiarly sweet and engaging child--actually sickened, -and at last, after a long illness, died, at about this age, the mother did -not dare take to herself the consolation it seemed likely to afford her, -as a foreshadowing of her child's beatified rest. On the contrary, the -mother's heart was distracted with doubts and fears.... There had been no -direct communion with God, as far as man could judge, near the last; -rather a certain fretfulness, a turning from God to man, a clinging to the -mother as her all. The Christian's heart was almost paralysed by the vast -and unspeakable terror which took possession of her soul. Was her dear one -indeed saved?... Although she thought all day long of this child,--I knew -her at the time, and she seemed consumed by grief, fast breaking, though -never was God's house opened without her finding her way thither,--she had -never once dreamt of her, or seen her in her dreams, much to her own -surprise, and despite the constant craving of her aching heart. But at -last, one night she dreamt, and thus: that she had risen from her bed, and -was standing in her chamber; that the door softly opened, and her little -one came and sat upon the threshold, sweetly smiling. 'What, my own -darling! (she thought she said,) are you come back again to me?' 'Yes, my -mamma,' replied the child. 'And are you happy, dearest?' 'Yes, quite -happy; but not for anything I have done,--only for the merit of my Lord.' -The mother advanced and embraced her child, and thus embracing she awoke. -And now wonderfully was it borne in upon her that the midnight apparition -of so many years ago and the child of her dream were one. Her dream was so -real, that she could not but receive it as a divine intimation, a direct -answer to her prayers. She now felt and believed that her dear one was in -Paradise. For some weeks, despite her longings to renew the vision, she -saw her child no more. Then she did so once again, in a dream. She was -crossing a radiant garden, where she knew not; in its centre was a stately -hall or cupola, and on the marble steps which led to it stood her sweet -one, looking pure and blessed. The mother bounded towards her, when she -espied, within the hall, at the further end of a corridor or long passage, -the form of another child of hers still living! This sight terrified her; -she shrieked out, and shrieking she awoke. That child lives still, and may -it long be preserved to the mother's prayers! But meanwhile, it is not a -little remarkable, that during nearly three years which have elapsed, -despite every effort on the mother's part, she has never once dreamt of -her darling! This is what contributes, with the vision of the radiant -child at first, to impart a supernatural character to the whole -transaction, and take these visitations out of the category of ordinary -dreams. On my own mind there is not the smallest doubt that here was a -two-fold supernatural intervention; firstly, vision,--seen, remember, _by -two witnesses_; then by a most strangely corroborative dream." - -Another example, shadowing forth the possible value and power of -prayer,--"the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man,"--though -briefly told, is not without its own special interest in these days of -Irreligion and Unbelief. - -"An English gentleman I knew well was residing in France; his only son was -a barrister in the Middle Temple Chambers in London. This son suffered -from disease of the heart, not known to be immediately dangerous; he was a -professed unbeliever--a scoffer, even; and had, alas! spoken lightly of -Revelation the day before his death. A sudden, violent attack prostrated -him; and, after a few hours of suffering, he departed. That night, the -father, who was not aware of any immediate danger to his child, dreamt -that the spirit of his deceased wife appeared to him, and addressed him, -saying, 'Rise and pray! William is dying, and there are none to pray for -him!'--or words to that effect. This dream was repeated, I believe, -thrice. The father did rise, and remained in earnest intercessory prayer -(he was a devout Christian man,) for the greater part of the night. This -is a well-authenticated fact, the certainty of which may be relied on." - -This chapter is brought to its close by a most impressive account of sweet -and heavenly music which was heard near the dying bed of one, whose -patience and devotion during sickness were as remarkable as her earthly -life had been pure and holy. - -It is from the pen of one who for many years was a clergyman of the Church -of England, but is now a Cistercian monk of the Monastery of Mount S. -Bernard, on the Charnwood Hills, in Leicestershire, and who is known in -religion as Father Augustine. - -"On the last day she [Mary, daughter of A. P. de Lisle, of Garendon Park, -Esq.], longed much for a cup of cold water, but it was not thought good -for her; and so, when reminded of our Saviour's thirst on the Cross, she -offered up her own thirst in union with His, and said she would ask for it -no more.[68] Her faculties, however, continued entire and clear to the -end, and by her particular request indulgenced prayers[69] were recited to -her that she might frequently repeat them. Thus her life ebbed softly -away; the last words on her lips being a prayer to her 'Sweet Saviour to -have mercy upon her.' And are not such things as these natural grounds for -having a sure hope that she died in the favour of God? It is true that we -have even supernatural grounds in the fact that on the night before her -decease (whilst she was receiving with devout mind the last anointing of -Holy Church to prepare her for her end) there was heard distinctly and by -several persons the sound of a celestial chant, proceeding from her -chamber, hymned by no earthly voices. Does not this look as if the blessed -spirits themselves had been assisting to prepare her that she might soon -become one of their company?" - -"Four men," continues the author of the Sermon from which the above is -taken, in a note to it, "none of them [Roman] Catholics, heard the -chanting three several times. They all agreed in their conviction as to -whence it came, that it was from the chamber of the dying child. The third -time it was so loud that they could distinguish, as it were, the several -voices that blended in this celestial harmony, some of which sung the -treble notes, while others took the deeper parts. The character of the -music was indescribably beautiful; and one of the men, who had been in the -habit of attending the Catholic service in S. Mary's chapel, at -Grâce-Dieu, declared that the style of it was exactly like that of the -solemn Plain Chant used in that chapel which he was accustomed to hear -there. They described the chanting as having no air in it that they could -carry away, but the effect was solemn and beautiful beyond expression. -They supposed, at the moment, that it was some service, according to the -Catholic rites, which was being sung in the sick chamber by the priest and -his attendants. When they heard it, therefore, they were not surprised at -the sound, except that its beauty exceeded that of any religious service -they had ever heard; and it was not until the following morning, at the -breakfast hour, when relating what they had heard to their -fellow-servants, and being then informed that there had been no service -_chanted_ in the sick room, that the conviction flashed upon them, as upon -all to whom these facts have been since related, that the chanting -proceeded from heavenly spirits and departed saints, who had come hither -on an errand of mercy, to hedge round the dying bed of the departing -child."--Note, p. 13. - -The Editor prefers to leave these varied records of the spiritual powers -and properties of the Church, these different examples of the presence of -the Supernatural, to the consideration of the reader; himself declining -either to lay down principles, frame arguments, or draw deductions from -facts already set forth. - - -APPENDIX TO CHAPTER III. - -THE FORM OF EXORCISING THE POSSESSED. - -[TRANSLATED FROM THE "ROMAN RITUAL."] - -_The Priest, having confessed, or at least hating sin in his heart, and -having said Mass, if it possibly and conveniently can be done, and humbly -implored the Divine help, vested in surplice and violet stole, the end of -which he shall place round the neck of the one possessed, and having the -possessed person before him, and bound if there be danger of violence, -shall sign himself, the person, and those standing by, with the sign of -the Cross, and sprinkle them with holy water, and kneeling down, the -others making the responses, shall say the Litany as far as the prayers._ - -_At the end the Antiphon._ Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the -offences of our forefathers, neither take Thou vengeance of our sins. - -Our Father. _Secretly._ - -[Versicle] And lead us not into temptation. - -[Response] But deliver us from evil. - - -_Psalm_ liv. - -_Deus, in Nomine._ - -_The whole shall be said with_ Glory be to the Father. - -[Versicle] Save Thy servant, - -[Response] O my God, that putteth his trust in Thee. - -[Versicle] Be unto him, O Lord, a strong tower, - -[Response] From the face of his enemy. - -[Versicle] Let the enemy have no advantage of him, - -[Response] Nor the son of wickedness approach to hurt him. - -[Versicle] Send him help, O Lord, from the sanctuary, - -[Response] And strengthen him out of Sion. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer, - -[Response] And let my cry come unto Thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you, - -[Response] And with thy spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -O God, Whose property is ever to have mercy and to forgive: receive our -supplications and prayers, that of Thy mercy and loving-kindness Thou wilt -set free this Thy servant (or handmaid) who is fast bound by the chain of -his sins. - -O holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus -Christ: Who hast assigned that tyrant and apostate to the fires of hell; -and hast sent Thine Only Begotten Son into the world, that He might bruise -him as he roars after his prey: make haste, tarry not, to deliver this -man, created in Thine Own image and likeness, from ruin, and from the -noon-day devil (_dæmonio meridiano_; in our version, "the sickness that -destroyeth in the noon-day"). Send Thy fear, O Lord, upon the wild beast, -which devoureth Thy vine. Grant Thy servants boldness to fight bravely -against that wicked dragon, lest he despise them that put their trust in -Thee, and say, as once he spake in Pharaoh: I know not the Lord, neither -will I let Israel go. Let Thy right hand in power compel him to depart -from Thy servant N. (or Thy handmaid N.) [Maltese Cross], that he dare no -longer to hold him captive, whom Thou hast vouchsafed to make in Thine -image, and hast redeemed in Thy Son; Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in -the Unity of the Holy Spirit, ever One God, world without end. Amen. - -_Then he shall command the spirit in this manner._ - -I command thee, whosoever thou art, thou unclean spirit, and all thy -companions possessing this servant of God, that by the Mysteries of the -Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, -by the sending of the Holy Ghost, and by the Coming of the same our Lord -to judgment, thou tell me thy name, the day, and the hour of thy going -out, by some sign: and, that to me, a minister of God, although unworthy, -thou be wholly obedient in all things: nor hurt this creature of God, or -those that stand by, or their goods in any way. - -_Then shall these Gospels, or one or the other, be read over the -possessed._ - -The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. John i. 1. _As he says these -words he shall sign himself and the possessed on the forehead, mouth, and -breast._ In the beginning was the Word ... full of grace and truth. - -The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Mark xvi. 15. At that time: -Jesus spake unto His disciples: Go ye into all the world ... shall lay -hands on the sick, and they shall recover. - -The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke x. 17. At that time: -The seventy returned again with joy ... because your names are written in -heaven. - -The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke xi. 14. At that time: -Jesus was casting out a devil, and it was dumb ... wherein he trusted, and -divideth his spoils. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer, - -[Response] And let my cry come unto Thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you, - -[Response] And with thy Spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -Almighty Lord, Word of God the Father, Jesus Christ, God and Lord of every -creature: Who didst give to Thy Holy Apostles power to tread upon serpents -and scorpions: Who amongst other of Thy wonderful commands didst vouchsafe -to say--Put the devils to flight: by Whose power Satan fell from heaven -like lightning: with supplication I beseech Thy Holy Name in fear and -trembling, that to me Thy most unworthy servant, granting me pardon of all -my faults, Thou wilt vouchsafe to give constancy of faith and power, that -shielded by the might of Thy holy arm, in trust and safety I may approach -to attack this cruel devil, through Thee, O Jesus Christ, the Lord our -God, Who shalt come to judge the quick and the dead, and the world by -fire. Amen. - - -_Then defending himself and the possessed with the sign of the Cross, -putting part of his stole round the neck, and his right hand upon the head -of the possessed, firmly and with great faith he shall say what follows._ - -[Versicle] Behold the Cross of the Lord, flee ye of the contrary part. - -[Response] The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath -prevailed. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer, - -[Response] And let my cry come unto Thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you, - -[Response] And with thy spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -O God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I call upon Thy Holy Name, and -humbly implore Thy mercy, that Thou wouldest vouchsafe to grant me help -against this, and every unclean spirit, that vexes this Thy creature. -Through the same Lord Jesus Christ. - - -THE EXORCISM. - -I exorcise thee, most foul spirit, every coming in of the enemy, every -apparition, every legion; in the Name of our Lord Jesus [Maltese Cross] -Christ be rooted out, and be put to flight from this creature of God -[Maltese Cross]. He commands thee, Who has bid thee be cast down from the -highest heaven into the lower parts of the earth. He commands thee, Who -has commanded the sea, the winds, and the storms. Hear therefore, and -fear, Satan, thou injurer of the faith, thou enemy of the human race, thou -procurer of death, thou destroyer of life, kindler of vices, seducer of -men, betrayer of the nations, inciter of envy, origin of avarice, cause of -discord, stirrer-up of troubles: why standest thou, and resistest, when -thou knowest that Christ the Lord destroyest thy ways? Fear Him, Who was -sacrificed in Isaac, Who was sold in Joseph, was slain in the Lamb, was -crucified in man, thence was the triumpher over hell. _The following signs -of the Cross shall be made upon the forehead of the possessed._ Depart -therefore in the Name of the Father [Maltese Cross], and of the Son -[Maltese Cross], and of the Holy [Maltese Cross] Ghost: give place to the -Holy Ghost, by this sign of the holy [Maltese Cross] Cross of Jesus Christ -our Lord: Who with the Father, and the same Holy Ghost, liveth and -reigneth ever one God, world without end. Amen. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer. - -[Response] And let my cry come unto Thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you. - -[Response] And with thy spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -O God, the Creator and Protector of the human race, Who hast formed man in -Thine own Image: look upon this Thy servant N. (_or_ this Thy handmaid -N.), who is grievously vexed with the wiles of an unclean spirit, whom the -old adversary, the ancient enemy of the earth, encompasses with a horrible -dread, and blinds the senses of his human understanding with stupor, -confounds him with terror, and harasses him with trembling and fear. Drive -away, O Lord, the power of the devil, take away his deceitful snares: let -the impious tempter fly far hence: let Thy servant be defended by the sign -[Maltese Cross] (_on his forehead_) of Thy Name, and be safe both in body, -and soul. (_The three following crosses shall be made on the breast of the -demoniac._) Do Thou guard his inmost [Maltese Cross] soul, Thou rule his -inward [Maltese Cross] parts, Thou strengthen his [Maltese Cross] heart. -Let the attempts of the opposing power in his soul vanish away. Grant, O -Lord, grace to this invocation of Thy most Holy Name, that he who up to -this present was causing terror, may flee away affrighted, and depart -conquered; and that this Thy servant, strengthened in heart, and sincere -in mind, may render Thee his due service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. -Amen. - - -THE EXORCISM. - -I adjure thee, thou old serpent, by the Judge of the quick and the dead, -by thy Maker, and the Maker of the world: by Him, Who hath power to put -thee into hell, that thou depart in haste from this servant of God N., -who returns to the bosom of the Church, with thy fear and with the -torment of thy terror. I adjure Thee again [Maltese Cross] (_on his -forehead_), not in my infirmity, but by the power of the Holy Ghost, that -thou go out of this servant of God N., whom the Almighty God hath made in -His Own Image. Yield, therefore, not to me, but to the minister of Christ. -For His power presses upon thee Who subdued thee beneath His Cross. -Tremble at His arm, which, after the groanings of hell were subdued, led -forth the souls into light. Let the body [Maltese Cross] (_on his breast_) -of man be a terror to thee, let the image of God [Maltese Cross] (_on his -forehead_) be an alarm to thee. Resist not, nor delay to depart from this -person, for it has pleased Christ to dwell in man. And think not that I am -to be despised, since thou knowest that I too am so great a sinner. God -[Maltese Cross] commands thee. The majesty of Christ [Maltese Cross] -commands thee. God the Father [Maltese Cross] commands thee. God the Son -[Maltese Cross] commands thee. God the Holy [Maltese Cross] Ghost commands -thee. The Sacrament of the Cross [Maltese Cross] commands thee. The faith -of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the other Saints [Maltese -Cross], commands thee. The blood of the Martyrs [Maltese Cross] commands -thee. The stedfastness (_continentia_) of the Confessors [Maltese Cross] -commands thee. The devout intercession of all the Saints [Maltese Cross] -commands thee. The virtue of the Mysteries of the Christian Faith [Maltese -Cross] commands thee. Go out, therefore, thou transgressor. Go out, thou -seducer, full of all deceit and wile, thou enemy of virtue, thou -persecutor of innocence. Give place, thou most dire one: give place, thou -most impious one: give place to Christ in Whom thou hast found nothing of -thy works: Who hath overcome thee, Who hath destroyed thy kingdom, Who -hath led thee captive and bound thee, and hath spoiled thy goods: Who hath -cast thee into outer darkness, where for thee and thy servants everlasting -destruction is prepared. But why, O fierce one, dost thou withstand? why, -rashly bold, dost thou refuse? thou art the accused of Almighty God, whose -laws thou hast broken. Thou art the accused of Jesus Christ our Lord, whom -thou hast dared to tempt, and presumed to crucify. Thou art the accused of -the human race, to whom by thy persuasion thou hast given to drink thy -poison. Therefore, I adjure thee, most wicked dragon, in the Name of the -immaculate [Maltese Cross] Lamb, Who treads upon the lion and adder, Who -tramples under foot the young lion and the dragon, that thou depart from -this man [Maltese Cross] (_let the sign be made upon his forehead_), that -thou depart from the Church of God [Maltese Cross] (_let the sign he made -over those who are standing by_): tremble, and flee away at the calling -upon the Name of that Lord, of Whom hell is afraid; to Whom the Virtues, -the Powers, and the Dominions of the heavens are subject; Whom Cherubim -and Seraphim with unwearied voices praise, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord -God of Sabaoth. The Word [Maltese Cross] made Flesh commands thee. He Who -was born [Maltese Cross] of the Virgin commands thee. Jesus [Maltese -Cross] of Nazareth commands thee; Who, although thou didst despise His -disciples, bade thee go bruised and overthrown out of the man: and in his -presence, having separated thee from him, thou didst not presume to enter -into the herd of swine. Therefore, thus now adjured in His Name [Maltese -Cross], depart from the man, whom He has formed. It is hard for thee to -wish to resist [Maltese Cross]. It is hard for thee to kick against the -pricks [Maltese Cross]. Because the more slowly goest thou out, does the -greater punishment increase against thee, for thou despisest not men, but -Him, Who is Lord both of the quick and the dead, Who shall come to judge -the quick and the dead, and the World by fire. [Response] Amen. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer. - -[Response] And let my cry come unto thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you. - -[Response] And with thy spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -O God of heaven, God of earth, God of the Angels, God of the Archangels, -God of the Prophets, God of the Apostles, God of the Martyrs, God of the -Virgins, God, Who hast the power to give life after death, rest after -labour; because there is none other God beside Thee, nor could be true, -but Thou, the Creator of heaven and earth, Who art the true King, and of -Whose kingdom there shall be no end: humbly I beseech Thy glorious -majesty, that Thou wouldest vouchsafe to deliver this Thy servant from -unclean spirits, through Christ our Lord. Amen. - - -THE EXORCISM. - -I therefore adjure thee, thou most foul spirit, every appearance, every -inroad of Satan, in the Name of Jesus Christ [Maltese Cross] of Nazareth, -Who, after His baptism in Jordan, was led into the wilderness, and -overcame thee in thine own stronghold: that thou cease to assault him whom -He hath formed from the dust of the earth for His own honour and glory: -and that thou in miserable man tremble not at human weakness, but at the -image of Almighty God. Yield, therefore, to God [Maltese Cross] Who by His -servant Moses drowned thee and thy malice in Pharaoh and his army in the -depths of the sea. Yield to God [Maltese Cross], Who put thee to flight -when driven out of King Saul with spiritual song, by his most faithful -servant David. Yield thyself to God [Maltese Cross], Who condemned thee in -the traitor Judas Iscariot. For He touches thee with Divine [Maltese -Cross] stripes, when in His sight, trembling and crying out with thy -legions, thou saidst: What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Son of the Most -High God? Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time? He presses -upon thee with perpetual flames, Who shall say to the wicked at the end of -time--Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the -devil and his angels. For thee, O impious one, and for thy angels, is the -worm that dieth not; for thee and thy angels is the fire unquenchable -prepared: for thou art the chief of accursed murder, thou the author of -incest, thou the head of sacrileges, thou the master of the worst actions, -thou the teacher of heretics, thou the instigator of all uncleanness. -Therefore go out [Maltese Cross], thou wicked one, go out [Maltese Cross], -thou infamous one, go out with all thy deceits; for God hath willed that -man shall be His temple. But why dost thou delay longer here? Give honour -to God the Father [Maltese Cross] Almighty, before Whom every knee is -bent. Give place to Jesus Christ [Maltese Cross] the Lord, Who shed for -man His most precious Blood. Give place to the Holy [Maltese Cross] Ghost, -Who by His blessed apostle Peter struck thee to the ground in Simon Magus; -Who condemned thy deceit in Ananias and Sapphira; Who smote thee in Herod, -because he gave not God the glory; Who by His apostle Paul smote thee in -Elymas the sorcerer with a mist and darkness, and by the same apostle by -his word of command bade thee come out of the damsel possessed with the -spirit of divination. Now therefore depart [Maltese Cross], depart, thou -seducer. The wilderness is thy abode. The serpent is the place of thy -habitation: be humbled, and be overthrown. There is no time now for delay. -For behold the Lord the Ruler approaches closely upon thee, and His fire -shall glow before Him, and shall go before Him; and shall burn up His -enemies on every side. If thou hast deceived man, God thou canst not -scoff: One expels thee, from Whose Sight nothing is hidden. He casts thee -out, to Whose power all things are subject. He shuts thee out, Who hast -prepared for thee and for thine angels everlasting hell; out of Whose -mouth the sharp sword shall go out, when He shall come to judge the quick -and the dead, and the World by fire. Amen. - - -_All the aforesaid things being said and done, so far as there shall be -need, they shall be repeated, until the possessed person be entirely set -free._ - -_The following which are noted down will be of great assistance, said -devoutly over the possessed, and also frequently to repeat the_ Our -Father, Hail Mary, _and_ Creed. - -_The Canticle._ Magnificat. - -_The Canticle._ Benedictus. - - -_The Creed of S. Athanasius._ - -_Quicunque vult._ - -Psalm xci. _Qui habitat._ - -Psalm lxviii. _Exurgat Deus._ - -Psalm lxx. _Deus in adjutorium._ - -Psalm liv. _In Nomine Tuo._ - -Psalm cxviii. _Confitemini Domino._ - -Psalm xxxv. _Judica, Domine._ - -Psalm xxxi. _In Te, Domine, speravi._ - -Psalm xxii. _Deus, Deus meus._ - -Psalm iii. _Domini, quid multiplicati?_ - -Psalm xi. _In Domino confido._ - -Psalm xiii. _Usque quo, Domine?_ - -_Each Psalm shall be said with_ Glory be to the Father, &c. - - -_Prayer after being set free._ - -We pray Thee, O Almighty God, that the spirit of wickedness may have no -more power over this Thy servant N. (_or_ Thy handmaid N.), but that he -may flee away, and never come back again: at Thy bidding, O Lord, let -there come into him (_or_ her) the goodness and peace of our Lord Jesus -Christ, by Whom we have been redeemed, and let us fear no evil, for the -Lord is with us, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the Unity of the -Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. [Response] Amen. - - - - -WITCHCRAFT AND NECROMANCY. - - -"To deny the possibility, nay actual existence of Witchcraft and Sorcery, -is at once flatly to contradict the revealed Word of God, in various -passages both of the Old and New Testament; and the thing itself is a -truth to which every Nation in the World hath in its turn borne testimony, -either by examples seemingly well attested, or by prohibitory laws, which -at least suppose the possibility of commerce with evil -spirits."--Blackstone's "Commentaries," book iv. chap. iv. p. 61. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -WITCHCRAFT AND NECROMANCY. - - -Witchcraft is the system of those persons who, through the direct agency -of wicked spirits, perform certain acts and deeds beyond the natural and -ordinary powers of mankind.[70] On the other hand, Necromancy, according -to the definition of Cotgrave, is "divination by conference with dead -bodies raised." In its modern and wider acceptation, the latter is a -formal summoning of the spirits of the dead out of the hidden place of -their abode--"the desert where they glide,"--in order to consult with them -as to the present or future by unlawful means, and to secure their active -assistance in supernatural things and practices which are forbidden. - -The invocation and consultation of evil spirits specially summoned to -earth by certain recognized incantations, would be acts of Witchcraft and -Necromancy. Of these cases, abundant examples occur both in sacred[71] and -profane history.[72] - -To the wizard or witch were freely given by the Devil or his angels divers -powers at once supernatural and uncommon, by which, when sought for, both -riches and sensual pleasures could for a while be secured, even to -surfeiting. Occasionally the gift of predicting certain future events was -bestowed; in other cases, the power of working evil and mischief upon the -lives, limbs, and fortunes of neighbours or chosen subjects. This power, -as was commonly believed, was bestowed by an express and definite compact, -as some declare, formally made in writing by the Devil or his agents, and -sealed with the wizard's or witch's own blood. By the unvarying terms of -the bond, as an essential preliminary, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism was -expressly renounced by the person accepting the Devil's terms and -conditions. Satan was formally worshipped, prayed to, and acknowledged as -Ruler and Lord; and then, after a certain number of years, as a necessary -consequence, the soul of the wizard or witch, without any chance of -redemption, was irrevocably lost, and became absolutely the everlasting -property of the Evil One. - -The existence of this detail of the Supernatural, sometimes dimly and -obscurely set forth, at others with undoubted and remarkable clearness, -owns in its favour the almost universal consent of the human race[73] in -all ages. Even the incredulity of the modern persons, who term themselves -"philosophers" and "thinkers," cannot be reasonably alleged in -contravention of so broad and general a fact; for these "philosophers" -themselves admit as much when, in their great wisdom, they proceed to -characterize the opposite disposition--the readiness to accept such -facts--as "vulgar" and "popular." - -It is impossible to point to any period when the belief in Witchcraft and -Necromancy was perfectly obliterated, or to any nation which altogether -repudiated it.[74] If one particular phase was removed, discredited, or -discountenanced, some other form, substantially and inherently similar, -eventually took its place. Holy Scripture[75] is full of references to -Witchcraft and Necromancy. The dark rites and deeds involved in their -practice are distinctly and unequivocally condemned. If such had not -actively existed, why should their condemnation have been pronounced in -the Sacred Books? Supernatural acts are there recorded, which are -expressly said to have been performed by and through the system and power -of Witchcraft, which is plainly declared to be a sin of a very dark dye. -The practice, consequently, is directly and plainly forbidden, as being -contrary to the Mind and Will of God; and laws were enacted and put on -record by which those who, in the face of warnings, continued to practise -such forbidden arts, were to be punished by death. - -It is equally clear from certain of the Epistles of the Apostles of our -Blessed Lord, that the fact of Witchcraft and Necromancy being commonly -practised by Pagan nations was not only perfectly well known[76] to the -guides and rulers of the Christian Church, but was again formally -forbidden by those who were left to teach in the Name and on behalf of -their Lord and Master. Nothing, in fact, can be more certain than that the -Apostles condemned and prohibited the consultation of, or intercourse -with, either the spirits of the departed or evil angels. - -Here a few remarks defining and setting forth the principle on which such -unlawful arts were authoritatively prohibited, may reasonably follow. - -By the very act of his profession the Christian allows the co-existence in -the World of two distinct and separable orders,--the Natural, which -governs the physical and moral laws of the world, and the Supernatural, -which, according to God's Revelation, gradually unfolded and duly -developed, governs the moral laws of man. The object of man's faith is -mystery, certain in itself, but above human intelligence. He yields the -homage of his will not only to a God Who is the Great Creator and -Preserver of the world and of all that therein is, but renders it to a God -Who is the Repairer and Restorer of the human race by the Incarnation of -the Eternal Word, and the Sanctifier of souls. This supernatural order, -then, was not only known and established in the earth by other -supernatural facts, but the visible testimony of Nature to the invisible -order superior to and above Nature, was from time to time, and when -necessary, abundantly made manifest. The Supernatural, then, exists in the -World to lead men to God. Everything, therefore, that rises up in -opposition to the Supernatural and mars the true idea of it, of necessity -turns man away from God. The World, the Flesh, and the Devil, each and all -(as Christian experience by temptation testifies,) effect this most -successfully. - -The World, which has been defined as "the rebellion of the reason against -God," scorns to accept miracles and mysteries, and boldly denies the -existence both of angels and fallen spirits--scoffing at and repudiating -the idea of Witchcraft or Necromancy, which it craftily characterizes as -"the foolish and ignorant superstitions of a dark age." Furthermore, the -World admits of no truth superior to the human intellect, of no law which -restricts what is called "human liberty" or the "rights of man;" and -absolutely refuses to acknowledge in the domain of facts anything which -oversteps those fixed rules which it alone chooses to recognize in the -government of Nature. - -The Flesh tends to degrade man to the level of the beasts, with whom he -has in common notable tendencies and powerful passions. To the carnal man, -who is at enmity with God, the very term "Supernatural" is a word void -both of meaning and efficacy. His motto is, "Let us eat and drink, for -to-morrow we die:" his conviction, as far as he may be said to have any, -is that his own soul is nothing more than "a force which has its origin in -matter itself," and which, by consequence, shares its destruction; while -his God is simply either "a stream of tendency, by which all things tend -to fulfil the law of their being," or "a substance immanent in the -universe."[77] - -Thirdly, the Devil, through hatred both of God and man, strives in every -way to substitute himself for God in this World. He is the Prince of the -Powers of the air. He is stronger and more knowing than man. His intellect -is clearer and finer. Moreover, his kingdom is powerful; his spiritual -auxiliaries are numerous; his allies on earth, of all kinds, in the flesh, -are multitudinous. The deeds which he delights that men should do are -perfectly well known.[78] By counterfeiting genuine prodigies and true -revelations, therefore, he draws men into the deadly meshes of a degrading -and damnable superstition, by means of a delusive and lying -supernaturalism. And the mischief resulting from such an active and -successful policy is by no means on the wane, if they are not surely on -the increase, in these dangerous latter days. True that in England the -laws against Witchcraft are abolished,[79] but history, fairly consulted -and faithfully read, tells us that not a century has elapsed since the -commencement of the Christian era without its demoniacal apparitions and -certain examples of Necromancy and Witchcraft. While this is so, of course -no intention is entertained by the Editor of denying the common belief of -the Universal Church, that by and through the Incarnation and Sacrifice of -the Ever-Blessed Son of God the powers and influence of the Enemy of souls -have been materially and efficiently crippled.[80] - -Having thus digressed for an obvious purpose, it is now needful to return -to the particular subject of this section, upon which some light will, in -due course, be found to have been thrown, by the above brief expositions -of principles; in the consideration and by the aid of which the strange -facts and singular records which follow will appear in their proper place, -when the important subject of the Supernatural, as brought out, incident -upon incident, by historical records and authentic accounts, is under -consideration. - -That Witchcraft and Necromancy were publicly recognized as facts by the -Fathers of the Christian Church is indisputable; while the existence of an -order of ministers known as "exorcists," acting from time to time, as -occasion required or necessity demanded, in casting out evil spirits, is a -sufficient proof of the watchful care and beneficent action of the -Universal Church, at once authoritative, indefectible, and divine.[81] - -In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII. issued a Bull against Witchcraft, upon the -promulgation of which, treatises were drawn up for the guidance of local -bishops, chancellors, and other ecclesiastical officials, in the necessary -labour of bringing hardened offenders to justice. This Bull was renewed in -the latter part of the fifteenth century, by Pope Alexander VI., so that -the subject of Witchcraft gained unusual attention about that period. - -As a matter of fact, it is computed that in the year 1515, no less than -five hundred witches were burnt in Geneva alone, and the same was the case -in other parts of Christendom,--a proof at once of the craft and power of -Satan, and of the demoralization of those who had deliberately elected to -become his servants and slaves. The earliest statute against Witchcraft -enacted in England, was passed in the reign of King Henry VI.; and -additional laws of great stringency and severity, sorely needed, were -enacted under the Tudors, by Henry VIII., Queen Elizabeth, and James I. In -the year 1604, the great Act of Parliament against Witchcraft, drawn up -by Coke and Bacon, was passed; and it is asserted that no less than twelve -bishops attended the Committee of the House of Lords when the Bill was -under discussion. Sir Matthew Hale and Sir Thomas Browne, men of high -legal and literary rank and mark, each gave evidence at the trials which -speedily followed. In this particular, as in some others, England followed -Geneva. Between the years 1565 and 1700, eleven wizards or sorcerers were -burnt at the stake in the Carrefour du Bordage, in Guernsey, the square -devoted by the city authorities of that island to this kind of punishment. -The last case of death for Witchcraft there took place in 1747. - -It may here be put on record that at the period of the Reformation, and -during the succeeding century, the power of casting out devils was claimed -exclusively by those who remained in visible communion with the See of -Rome, and many Roman Catholic writers of those periods maintained that no -such power belonged either to any teacher of heresy or to schismatics.[82] -But many of the Puritans, knowing that the act of exorcism, like baptism, -was not essentially a sacerdotal act (for if baptism may be validly -confirmed by a deacon, it may, with equal validity, be bestowed by a -layman), maintained the power to be inherent in any Christian man (with -right disposition and following recognized and authorized rules) of -casting out evil spirits; and, in consequence, declined altogether to -repudiate the clear and plain records and statements of Holy Scripture -concerning Witchcraft and Necromancy. They therefore made several attempts -to secure the official authorization of a form for exorcism, framed after -the old and customary rite, to be printed in the "Book of Common Prayer." -This, however, was never done. But in 1604 the subject was duly -considered, and determined upon in the seventy-second Canon, which, as has -been already pointed out, properly and stringently forbad to the clergy -the practice of exorcism without a special license or faculty from the -Bishop of the diocese. - -As to the facts of Witchcraft and Necromancy, it is quite impossible to -deny their existence. Records of the plainest character, legal evidence -and literary testimony of undisputed authority,[83] may be discovered, -which very luminously set forth what was believed on the subject; and this -not alone by the ignorant, but by the learned and well-informed. The only -difficulty is to make a suitable selection from that evidence which so -abundantly exists; being careful that such selection shall not set forth -merely one aspect of the subject, but several, and leaving each account to -tell its own story. This it is now proposed briefly to attempt. - -For example, in the year 1599, a girl named Martha Brossier, of -Romorantin, in Berry, was reputed to be possessed, and excited a -considerable sensation in Paris. At the suggestion of the then Bishop of -Paris, the King ordered a Committee composed of the most eminent -physicians, to examine and report on her case. The physicians appointed -were Marescot, Ellain, Haulin, Riolan, and Duet; and their Report, which -is exceedingly curious, will be found translated into English by Abraham -Hartwell, and published towards the close of the sixteenth century.[84] -The dedication to his Majesty proceeds thus:-- - -"Sire, by the commandment of Your Majestie, we have set down briefely and -truly that which wee have found in our visiting of Martha Brossier.... We -present the same unto Your Majestie without any art, without any painted -show, without any flourish, but with a naked Simplicitie, the faithful -companion of Truth, which you have desired from us in this matter and -which you have always loved and curiously sought." The Report then -continues: "We the undersigned Doctors Regents in the facultie of -physicke in the Universitie of Paris, touching the matter of Martha -Brossier, a maide of the age of two-and-twenty yeres or thereabouts, born -at Romorantin in Berry, who was brought unto us in the chappel of my Lord -of Saint Genefue [Geneviève], and who we saw sometimes in constitution, -countenance and speech as a person sounde of bodie and minde, ... do say -in our consciences, and certify that which followeth: that all which is -before set down (referring to the character of her fits) must be referred -to one of these three causes--sicknesse, counterfeiting, or diabolicall -possession. For the opinion that it proceedeth from sicknesse, we are -clerely excluded from that, for the agitations and motions we observed -therein doe retain nothing of the nature of sickness, nay not of those -diseases whereunto of the first sight they might have resembled; it being -neither an epilepsie or falling sickness, which always supposes the loss -of sense and judgment, nor the passion which we call hysterica, ... nor -any of the foure motions proceeding from diseases, that is to say, -shivering, trembling, panting, and convulsion, or indeede if there doe -appeare any convulsion; and that a man will so call the turning up of her -eyes, the gnashing of her teeth, the writhing of her chaps (which are -almost ordinarie with this maide while she is in her fittes); the -confidence which the priest hath when he openeth her mouth, and holdeth it -open with his finger within it, testifying sufficiently that they doe not -proceede from, nor are caused by, any disease, considering that in -diseases he that hath a convulsion is not master of that part or member -wherein it is, having neither any power of election or command over it, -and particularly which is in the convulsion of the jawes, which is most -violent of all the rest, the finger of the priest should bee no more -respected nor spared than the finger of any other man. Moreover, diseases, -and the motions also of diseases (especially those that are violent), -leave the body feeble, the visage pale, and the breath panting. This -maide, at the end of her fittes, was found to be as little moved and -changed in pulse, colour, countenance, and breath, as ever she was before; -yea, which is the more to be noted, as little at the end of her exorcisme -as at the beginning, at evening as in the morning, at the last day as at -the first. Touching the point of counterfeiting, the insensibilitie of her -bodie during her extasies and furies, tried by the deepe prickings of long -pinnes, which were thrust into divers parts of her hands, and afterwards -plucked out againe, without any show that ever she made of feeling the -same, either in the putting in of them, or the taking out of them, a -griefe which, without majicke and without speech, could not, in our -opinion, be indured, without any countenance or show thereof, neither by -the constancie of the most courageous, nor by the stoutnesse of the most -wicked, nor by the stronge conceit of the most criminall malefactores, -took from us almost the suspicion of it, but much more persuaded us from -that opinion, the thin and slender foam that in her mad fits we saw issue -out of her mouth, which she had no means to be abel to counterfeit. And -yet more than all this, the very consideration before mentioned of the -little or no change at all that was seene in her person after all these -most sharpe and very long pangs, (a thing which nobody in the world did -ever trie in their most moderate exercises,) we are driven, even till this -houre, by all the lawes of discourse and knowledge, yea, and almost forced -to beleeve that this maide is a demoniacke, and the Devill dwelling in her -is the Author of these effects. If wee had seen that which my Lord of St. -Genefue and many others doe report,--that this maide was lifted up into -the ayre more than four foote above five or six strong persons that held -her,--it would have been an argument to us of an extraordinarie power, -over and beyond the common nature and condition of man. But not being -presente at that wonder, we doe give a testamonie of our knowledge, which -is as much or rather more admirable than that force and power was, viz., -that being demanded, and in her exercising commanded, my Lord of Paris -furnishing the priest with questions and interrogatories, this maide -divers and sundrie times, by many persons of qualitie and worthie of -credit, was seene and heard to obey and answere to purpose, not only in -the Latin tongue, (wherein it had not been impertinent peradventure to -have suspected some collusion,) but also in Greeke and in English, and -that upon the sudden. She did, we say once againe, understande the Greeke -and English languages, wherein we beleeve, as it is very likely that she -was never studied, so that there was no collusion used with her, neither -could she invent or imagine the interpretations thereof. It resteth, -therefore, even in the judgment of Aristotle in the like case, that they -were inspired unto her." The Report then concludes with this solemn -declaration: "By reason whereof, and considering also, under correction, -that Saint Luke, who was both a physician and an evangelist, describing -the persons out of whose bodies our Lord and his apostles did drive the -devils left unto us, none other or any greater signes than those which wee -think wee have seene in this case, wee are the more induced and almost -confirmed to beleeve and to conclude as before, taking God for a Witness -of our consciences in the matter. Made at Paris, this 3rd April, 1599." - -On this Report, as may be gathered from the tractate referred to, it is -evident and notorious that the physicians Marescot, Ellain, Haulin, -Riolan, and Duet, were all men of scientific attainments and unimpeachable -moral integrity; the same facts were also witnessed and formally attested -by the Bishop of Paris, the Abbot of Geneviève, and other competent -observers. - -Another case, that of a girl named Anne Millner, or Mylner, of Chester, -about the year 1564, deserves consideration. The record here given is -taken from a pamphlet of considerable interest.[85] Some curious facts -connected with it are attested by Sir William Calverley, Sir William -Sneyd, Lady Calverley, and other persons of distinction who then lived at -Chester. The description of the paroxysm is extremely graphic:--"We went," -says the Report, which is signed by the above-named persons, "at about two -of the clocke in the afternoone of the same 16th day of February and there -found the mayden in her traunce, after her accustomed manner lying in a -bed within the haule, her eyes half shut, half open, looking as she had -been agast, never moving either eye or eyelid, her teeth something open, -with her tongue doubling betweene, her face somewhat red, her head as -heavy as leade to lift at; there she laid, still as a stone, and feeling -her pulse it beat in as good measure as if she had been in perfect -health." The Report then describes her becoming violently convulsed: "She -lifted herself up in her bed, bending backwards in such order that almost -her head and fete met, falling down on the one side, then on the other." A -person of the name of Lane, who was reputed to possess great power over -demoniacs, was then called in, who first, as the Report expresses it, -"willed" that she should speak, and then "willed" that she should rise and -dress herself, all which she did, to the astonishment of the bystanders; -and a Certificate to that effect was signed by all present on March 8, -1564. - -In Lancashire seven persons belonging to one family were reputed to be -under the direct influence of evil spirits, or in a certain state of -bewitchment, exhibiting signs of demoniacal possession. The pamphlet, the -title of which is given below,[86] puts on record what in this case is -reported to have occurred: "These possessed persons had every one -something peculiar to herselfe which none of the rest did shew, and that -so rare and straunge that all the people were obliged to confesse it was -the worke of an evil spirit within them; so had they many things in -common, and were handled for the most part in their fittes alike.... They -had all every one very straunge visions, they heard hideous and fearful -voices of spirits sundrie times and did make marveilous answers back -againe ... they were in their fits ordinarilie holden in that captivity -and bondage, that for an houre, two, or three, and longer time they -should neither see, heare, nor taste, nor feel nothing but the divells, -they employing them wholly for themselves, vexing and tormenting them so -extreameley as that for the present they could feel no other paine or -torture that could bee offered; no, though you should plucke an ear from -the heade or an arm from the bodie. They had also a marveilous sore -heaving as if their hearts would burst, so that with violent straining -some of them vomitted bloude many times. They were all of them verry -fierce, offering violence both to themselves and others, whereine they -shewed verie greate and extraordinarie strength. They were out of their -right mind, without the use of their senses, expecially voyd of feiling: -as much sense in a stock as one of them, or as possible, in a manner, to -quicken a dead man as to alter or chaunge them in their traunces in -anything they either saide or did. They in their fittes had divers parts -and members of their bodies so striffe and stretched out as were -inflexible or very hard to be bended. They shewed very great and -extraordinarie knowledge, as may appeare by the straunge things saide and -done by them, according to that which we have already set down in the -particulars. They ever after their fittes were as well as might be, and -felt very little or no paine at all, although they had been never so sore -tormented immediately before." - -The strange and singular violence of the convulsions in those who were -under the influence of Witchcraft, is brought out in almost all the -records of such cases, notably in those which occurred during the Great -Rebellion,[87] and specially in the case of Anne Styles, who was executed -at Salisbury in 1653. - -The narrative states that she was so strong in her fits that six men or -more could not hold her, but while suffering under most grievous hurrying -and tortures of the body, the witch being only brought into the room, she -fell asleep and slept for three hours, so fast that when they would have -awakened her they could not.[88] The insensibility of the body in this -state, we are informed by Increase Mather, led to a cruel test for -demoniacal possession. There was a notorious Witchfinder, he observes, "in -Scotland, who undertook by a pin to make an infallible discovery of -suspected persons, whether they were witches or not. If, when the pin was -run an inch or two into the body of the accused party no blood appeared -nor any sense of pain, he declared them to be witches, by means of which -no less than three hundred persons were condemned for witchcraft in that -country."[89] - -In a small but curious tractate entitled "Daimonomagia," the effects of -Witchcraft are maintained to be a disease. The definition of it stands -thus:--"A disease of witchcraft is a sickness that arises from strange and -preternatural causes, and from diabolical power in the use of strange and -ridiculous ceremonies by witches or necromancers, afflicting with strange -and unaccustomed symptoms, and commonly preternaturally violent, very -seldom, or not at all, curable by natural remedies." Then follow the -diagnostical signs, amongst which are insensibility, convulsions, together -with a preternatural knowledge both of living and dead languages, and -after these the causes of witchcraft. Biernannus and Wierius, two -authorities on the subject, find that aspect and contact do not -necessarily bewitch; but witches sometimes try to bewitch another of the -same family. Lastly, as regards the cure, directions are provided by which -the wizard, witch, or necromancer is to be compelled to use certain dark -ceremonies for the cure of the bewitched. - -In the year 1658, a woman named Jane Brookes was tried, condemned, and -executed at Chard in Somersetshire. The indictment against her was that -she had bewitched Richard the son of Henry Jones, of Shepton Mallet in -that county. Numberless persons of all ranks and classes, including both -clergymen and physicians, witnessed his sufferings and paroxysms; while -the direct influence of the woman indicted was fully apparent and -abundantly proved. "The boy," as the Rev. Joseph Glanville,[90] one of the -chaplains of King Charles II. writes, "fell into his fitts at the sight of -Jane Brookes and lay in a man's arms like a dead person; the woman was -then willed to lay on her hand, which she did, and he thereupon started -and sprung out in a very unusual manner. One of the justices, to prevent -all possibilities of _legerdemain_, caused Gibson and the rest to stand -off from the boy, and then that justice himself held him. The youth being -blindfolded, the justice called as if Brookes should touch him, but winked -to others to do it, which two or three successively did, but the boy -appeared not concerned. The justice then called on the father to take him, -but had privately before desired one Mr. Geoffrey Strode to bring Jane -Brookes to touch him at such a time as he should call for his father, -which was done, and the boy immediately sprang out after a very odd and -violent fashion. He was afterwards touched by several persons and moved -not, but Jane Brookes being again caused to put her hand upon him he -started and sprung up twice as before. All this while he remained in his -fit and some time after, and being then laid on a bed in the same room, -the people present could not for a long time bow either of his arms or -legs." - -It appears tolerably evident that the boy, when under the influence of his -fits, owned a faculty not unlike that of clairvoyance. As regards Jane -Brookes and her sister, he seems to have had the capacity to describe them -accurately wherever they might have been. As the Report declares, "He -would tell the clothes and habits they were in at the time, exactly as the -constable and others have found them on repairing to them, although -Brookes' house was a good distance from Jones': this they often tried, and -always found the boy right in his description."[91] - -From the same volume, the main facts of which seem to be admitted by -competent authority, a woman named Elizabeth Style of Bayford was -indicted for bewitching a girl named Elizabeth Hill, thirteen years of -age. In this case the formal deposition of three credible witnesses -attests that "during her fits, her strength was encreased beyond the -proportion of nature, and the force of divers men. Furthermore, in one fit -she foretold when she would have the next, which happened accordingly." - -The case of the "Surey Demoniac," as he was termed, which was set forth at -length in a publication issued in London towards the close of the -seventeenth century,[92] is certainly worthy of being noticed here. In the -year 1697 a youth of nineteen years of age, named Richard Dugdale, excited -great attention; it being generally believed that he was possessed by an -evil spirit, as the direct consequence of Witchcraft. His paroxysms were -witnessed by numerous clergymen, physicians, and persons of respectability -and rank; and caused an amount of interest and excitement which can -scarcely be realized.[93] His fits commenced with violent convulsions; his -sight or eyeballs turned upward and backwards; he afterwards answered -questions; predicted during one fit the period of accession and duration -of another fit; spoke in foreign languages, of which at other times he was -ignorant, and described events passing at a distance with singular and -recognized accuracy. Here again the word of narration is quoted at -length:--"At the end of one fit the demoniac told what hour of the night -or day his next [fit] would begin, very precisely and punctually, as was -constantly observed, though there was no equal or set distance of time -between his fits; betwixt which there would be, sometimes a few hours, -sometimes many, sometimes one day, sometimes many days." "He would have -told you," one of the deponents asserts on oath, "when his fits would -begin, when they were two or three in one day, or three or four days -asunder, wherein he never was, that the deponent knoweth of, -disappointed." On one occasion, when the minister was addressing him, he -exclaimed, "At ten o'clock my next fit comes on." "Though he was never -learned in the English tongue, and his natural and acquired abilities were -very ordinary, yet, when the fit seized him, he often spake Latin, Greek, -and other languages very well.... He often told of things in his fits done -at a distance, whilst those things were a-doing,--as, for instance, a -woman being afraid to go to the barn, though she was come within a bow's -length of it, was immediately sent for by the demoniac, who said, 'Unless -that weak-faithed jade come, my fits will last longer.' Some said, 'Let us -send for Mr. G----.' The demoniac answered, 'He is now upon the hay-cart,' -which was found to be true.... On another occasion he told what great -distress there was in Ireland, and that England must 'pay the piper.' -Again, one going by him to a church meeting, was told by the demoniac in -his fit, 'Thou needest not go to the said meeting, for I can tell thee the -sermon that will be preached there,' upon which he told him the text and -much of the sermon that was that day preached." Lastly, it is certified by -two of the deponents that "the demoniac could not certainly judge what the -nature of his distemper was; because when he was out of his fits, he could -not tell how it was with him when he was in his fits." - -From another publication[94] we gather that, in the case of Florence -Newton, an Irishwoman, who was charged with bewitching Mary Longdon, when -the sufferer and the accused were both in court, and the evidence against -the person charged was being concluded, the prisoner at the bar simply -looked at the woman reputed to be under her influence, and made certain -motions of her hands towards her, upon which we are told that "the maid -fell into most violent fits, so that all the people that could lay hands -on her could scarcely hold her." - -Quaint as these records are, peculiar in their literary style, singularly -simple and homely in their subject-matter as to details, and tinged, it -may be, not infrequently with the exaggerated superstitions of the times, -it is impossible that so many persons of all ranks and classes--the -highest as well as the lowest--eye-witnesses of facts, could have been so -utterly mistaken as to the Supernatural character of Witchcraft, or so -deluded as to its true nature and import. Some writers have hastily and -erroneously asserted that at the close of the seventeenth century the -arraigning and trying of witches came to an end. But this is not so.[95] -In 1712, Judge Parker (who succeeded Chief Justice Holt,) put a check upon -the so-called "trial by water," by his charge at the Essex Summer Assizes -of that year. Three years later, however, in 1715, Elizabeth Treslar was -hung and then burnt for Witchcraft on Northampton Heath. - -The following account (extracted _verbatim et literatim_) is taken from a -rare and curious tract[96] published early in the eighteenth century, -containing an account of the trial, examination, and condemnation of two -witches named Shaw and Phillips in the year 1705. One or two sentences of -the old narrative are two coarse for quotation; but substantially the -contemporary account is reprinted, following its old typographical form:-- - -"On Wednesday the 7th of this Instant March 1705, being the second day of -the Assizes held at Northampton: One Ellinor Shaw and Mary Phillips[97] -(two notorious Witches), were brought into court and there Arraign'd at -the Bar upon several Indictments of Witchcraft; particularly for -Bewitching and Tormenting in a Diabolical manner, the Wife of Robert Wise -of Benefield in the said County, till she Dyed; as also for Killing by -Witchcraft and wicked Facination one Elizabeth Gorham of Glapthorn, a -Child of about four years of Age, in the said County of Northampton; as -also for Bewitching to death one Charles Ireland of Southwick in the said -County; to which Indictment the two said Prisoners pleaded not Guilty and -there upon put themselves upon their Tryals as followeth:-- - -"The first Evidence against them was one Widdow Peak, who deposed that she -with two other Women, undertook to Watch the same Prisoners after they had -been Apprehended; and that about Midnight there appeared in the Room a -little white Thing about the Bigness of a Cat, which sat upon Mary -Phillips' Lap, at which time she heard her, the said Mary Phillips, say, -then pointing to Ellinor Shaw, that she was the Witch that Killed Mrs. -Wise by Roasting her Effiges in Wax, sticking it full of Pinns, and till -it was all wasted, and all this she affirm'd was done the same Night Mrs. -Wise Dyed in a sad and languishing Condition. Mrs. Evans deposed that when -Mrs. Wise first was taken Ill, that she saw Ellinor Shaw look out at the -Window (it being opposite to her House), at Which time she heard her say, -'I have done her Business now I am sure; this Night Ill send the old Devil -a New Year's Gift' (next day being New year's Day), and well knowing this -Ellinor Shaw to be a reputed Witch, was so much concern'd at her Words -that she went then to see how Mrs. Wise did, Where she found her -Tormented with such Pains, as exceeding those of a Woman in Travel, which -Encreased to such a terrible Degree that she Expired about 12 of the clock -to the great amasement of all her Neighbours. - -"Another Evidence made Oath that Ellinor Shaw and Mary Phillips being one -day at her house they told her she was a Fool to live so Miserable as she -did, and therefore if she was willing, they would send some thing that -Night that would Relieve her, and being an ignorant Woman she consented; -and accordingly the same Night two little black Things, almost like Moles -came into her bed ... repeating the same for two or three Nights after, -till she was almost frightened out of her Sences [sic] insomuch that she -was forced to send for Mr. Danks the Minister, to Pray by her several -nights before the said Imps would leave her: She also added that she -heard the said Prisoners say that they would be Revenged on Mrs. Wise -because she would not give them some Buttermilk. - -"Mrs. Todd of Southwick deposed that Charles Ireland being a Boy of about -12 years of Age, was taken with Strange Fitts about Christmas last, -continuing so by Intervals till twelf Day last, at which time he Barked -like a Dogg, and when he was Recovered and come to himself, he would -Distinctly describe Ellinor Shaw and Mary Phillips, affirming them two to -be the Authors of his Misfortunes, though he never saw them in his Life; -so that Mrs. Ireland, the Boy's mother, was advised to Cork up some ... in -a stone Bottle filled full of Pins and Needles, and to Bury it under the -Fire Hearth; which being done accordingly, the two said Witches could not -be quiet till they came to the same House and desired to have the said -Bottle taken up, which was not granted, till they had confessed the -Matter, and promised never to do so again; but for all this the Next night -but one, the said Boy was so violently Handled, that he Dyed in two Hours -time; and this Woman's Testimoney was confirm'd by five or six other -Evidences at the same time. - -"The said Witches were Try'd a third time for Bewitching to Death -Elizabeth Gorham of Glapthorne on the 10th of February last, as also for -killing several Horses, Hogs, and Sheep, being the Goods of Matthew -Gorham, Father of the said Child aforesaid. The Evidence against them to -prove all this, was William Boss and John Southwel; who deposed that being -Constables of the said Town, they were Charged with the said Prisoners in -their Custody, who threatning them with Death if they did not Confess, and -promising them to let them go if they would Confess; after some little -Whineing and Hanging about one another's Necks they both made this -Confession:-- - - "'That living in one house together they contracted with the Devil - about a Year ago to sell their Souls to him, upon condition he would - enable them to do what Mischief they desired against whom they - pleased, either in Body, Goods, or Children; upon which the same Night - they had each of them three Imps sent them as they were going to Bed, - and at the same instant the Devil appeared to them in the shape of a - tall black Man, and told them that these Imps would always be at their - Service, either to kill Man, Woman, Child, Hog, Cow, Ship, [_i.e._ - Sheep] or any other Creature, when they pleased to command them, - provided ... which being agree'd to, the Devil came to Bed to them - Both.... And that the next morning they sent four of their Imps to - kill two Horses of one John Webb of the said Town of Glapthorne, - because he openly said they were Witches; and accordingly the Horses - were found dead in a Pond the same day; and two Days after this, they - Kill'd four great Hoggs after the same manner, belonging to Matthew - Gorham, because he said they both look'd like Witches, and not - thinking this Revenge sufficient, the next day after, they sent two - Imps a piece to destroy his Child, being a little Girle of about four - years of Age, which was done accordingly in 24 Hours' time, - notwithstanding all the Skill and Endeavour of able Doctors to - preserve it. They further confessed that if the said Imps were not - constantly imploy'd to do Mischief they had not their Healths, but - when they were imploy'd they were very Healthful and Well. They - further added, that the said Imps did often tell them in the - Night-time in a hollow whispering low voice, which they plainly - understood, that they should never feel Hell Torments, and they had - Kill'd a Horse and two Cows of one Widow Broughton because she deny'd - them some Pea-cods last year, for which they had also struck her - Daughter with Lameness, which would never be cured as long as either - of them Liv'd, and accordingly she had continued so ever since.' - -"The above said Evidence further deposed that having thus extorted the -said Confession from the prisoners, they persuaded them to set their Hands -to it, which was done accordingly, tho' with very much difficulty, upon -which the said Confession was produced in Court, and the Witness's to it -Examin'd, who all deposed upon Oath that the said Confession was made in -their Hearing, and that they saw the said reputed Witches set their Marks -to it in the presence of ten Witnesses. - -"Upon which the said Prisoners were desired by the Court to declare -wheather they own'd the said Confession and the Marks thereunto Affixed or -not, to which they both answered in the Negative; and thereupon made such -a Howling and lamentable Noise as never was heard before to the amusement -of the Whole Court, and Deny'd every particular that was laid to their -Charge: but the Court having heard the matter of Fact so positively -asserted against them by several Evidences, and above all by their own -Confessions, that after having given a Larned [sic] Charge to the Jury -relating to every particular Circumstance, they brought them in both -Guilty of wilful Murther and Witchcraft, and accordingly the next day the -Court was pleased to pronounce sentence of Death upon them, that is to -say, To be Hang'd till they are almost Dead, and then surrounded with -Faggots Pitch and other Combustable matter, which being set on fire their -Bodies are to be consumed to _Ashes_." - -In the month of March, 1711-12, another woman, Jane Wenham by name[98] -(formally charged with bewitching Anne Thorne, Anne Street, and others), -was tried at the Assizes at Hertford, and received sentence of death. The -case was heard before Sir Henry Chauncey. Before the grand jury the -depositions of sixteen witnesses were taken; one of whom deposed that Jane -Wenham confessed to him that she had practised Witchcraft during sixteen -years. On one occasion when the girl whom she had afflicted was in one of -her paroxysms, we are informed that a very ingenious gentleman and able -physician happened to be present, his curiosity bringing him a little out -of his way to inquire into the truth of the story of this witch, which he -had heard several ways told, as things of this nature generally are. When -he saw her in a fit, which was one of the least she ever had, he tried -whether he could bring her out of it without prayers. He took a great -feather, which burning he held under the maid's nose, and though the stink -was so great that we were not able to bear it in the room, yet the maid -received the strong steam into her nose without being the least affected -by it and without perceiving it, as far as we could perceive. The -physician then felt her pulse and assured them that "it was no natural -disease under which the maid laboured, that it must be counterfeit or -preternatural; but," observes the author of this account, "that she should -counterfeit even death itself one minute and restore herself to health the -very next, and that she should put herself to all this trouble for no -manner of pleasure or profit, is so very inconceivable and so wholly -unaccountable, that I must needs say I shall never have faith enough to -believe such a heap of absurdities." (p. 33.) - -The undoubted insensibility of the girl was tested in a very practical but -remarkably barbarous manner. One of the members of the Family of Chauncey -"ran a pin into her arm six or seven times, and finding she never winced -for it, but held her arm as still as if nothing had been done to it, and -seeing no blood come, he ran it in a great many times more; still no blood -came; but she stood talking and never minded it. Then, again, he ran it in -several times more. At last he left it in her arm that all the company -might see it, run up to the head." (p. 19.) - -The record of these cases also contains the following:-- - -"There are also some things in which the fits of Mary Longdon and Anne -Thorn agree, particularly the great strength of the afflicted when in a -fit, so great that three or four men could hardly hold 'em down, but there -is one very remarkable difference, which I doubt not my readers have -already taken notice of, viz. that this Mary Longdon was always worse of -her fits whenever Florence Newton came in the room; whereas Anne Thorn -constantly recovered from hers at the touch of the witch. And yet I think -these different appearances may be accounted for [in] different ways. It -is not reasonable to suppose that either of those alterations in the -afflicted came to pass by the consent or procurement of the witches -themselves, who could not but perceive that they served as strong -circumstances against them, but this was done by the overruling providence -of Almighty God to convict these miserable creatures; and either of these -ways might do as well as the other, since it is equally surprising to see -one in perfect health fall into such terrible fits at the sight of any one -person, as to see another recover out of such fits by the bare touch of -the suspected witch, both of them tending only to the discovery of the -criminal." (pp. 17, 18.) - -As to certain of the characteristics and evidences of Witchcraft, Increase -Mather in his "Cases of Conscience" writes as follows. What he sets forth, -and what is now to be quoted, serves to show not only the kind of evidence -as to facts which was then forthcoming, but also to afford information as -to the current sentiment of his own period: "As for that which concerns -the bewitched persons being recovered out of their agonies by the touch of -the suspected party, it is various and fallible; sometimes the afflicted -person is made sick instead of being made whole by the touch of the -accused; sometimes the power of imagination is such as that the touch of a -person innocent and not accused shall have the same effect. Bodin relates -that a witch who was tried at Nantes was commanded by the judges to touch -a bewitched person, a thing often practised by the judges of Germany in -the Imperial Chamber. The witch was extremely unwilling, but being -compelled by the judges, she cried out, I am undone, and as soon as ever -she touched the afflicted person the witch fell down dead. I think," -continues Mather, "that there is weight in Dr. Cottar's argument, viz. -that the power of healing the sick and possessed was a special grace and -favour of God for the confirmation of the truth of the Gospel; but that -such a gift should be annexed to the touch of wicked witches, as an -infallible sign of their guilt is not easy to be believed. It is a thing -well known, that if a person possessed by an evil spirit is (as oft it -happens) never so outrageous whilst a good man is praying with and for the -afflicted, let him lay his hand on them and the evil spirit is quiet." - -The cases already referred to took place in England. A brief reference may -be here made to two examples which caused considerable sensation in -Scotland,--a country where the belief in Witchcraft was in times past -almost universal; and where, even still, the clear statements of Holy -Scripture on the subject are neither explained away, scoffed at, nor -disbelieved:-- - -In the year 1696 a commission was appointed in Scotland by the Lords of -his Majesty's Privy Council, to inquire into the case of Christian Shaw, -daughter of John Shaw of Bargarran, and the accused persons confronted -before Lord Blantyre, the rest of the commissioners, several others -gentlemen of note and ministers, the accused and in particular Catherine -Campbell were examined in the presence of the commissioners. "When they -[the accused] severally touched the afflicted girl, says the Report, she -was seized with grevious fits and cast into intolerable agonies; others -then present did also touch her, but no such effects followed, and it is -remarkable that when Catherine Campbell touched the girle she was -immediately seized with more grevious fittes and cast into more -intolerable torments than upon the touch of other accused persons, whereat -Campbell herself being daunted and confounded, though she had formerly -declined to bless her, uttered these words, 'The Lord of heaven and earth -bless thee and save thee both body and soul.'"[99] - -During these trials we are informed that the "prisoners were called in, -one by one, and placed about seven or eight feet from the justices and -accusers; then, stood between the justices and them, the prisoners were -ordered to stand right before the justices, with an officer appointed to -hold each hand, lest they should herewith afflict them, and the prisoners' -eyes must be constantly on the justices, for if they looked on the -afflicted they would either fall into fitts or cry out they were much -hurt by them." - -"On the trial of Bridget Bishops," it is further added that, "the -indictment being drawn up according to form, it was testified at the -examination of the prisoner before the magistrates that the bewitched were -extremely tortured. If she did but cast her eye on them they were -presently cast down, and this in such a manner that there could be no -collusion in the business. But upon the touch of her hand upon them when -they lay in their swoones they would immediately revive, and not upon the -touch of anyone else. Moreover, upon the special actions of her body, as -the shaking of her head or the turning up of her eyes, they presently fell -into the same postures, and many of the like accidents fell out while she -was at the bar."[100] - -Most curious are the various details of the trials thus far referred to. -And certain of them may be regarded as trivial, if not absurd and -ridiculous. Nevertheless it should be our careful aim to distinguish -between those facts which were formally, regularly, and clearly -established by positive evidence, and the personal fancies, superstitions, -notions and wild ideas which may possibly accompany the reports of them. -Of course exaggerations may have been made, and impositions not -unfrequently practised; but in the forcible words of Joseph Glanville, we -should remember that "frequency of deceit and fallacy will warrant a -greater care and caution in examining, and a greater scrupulosity and -shyness of assent to, things wherein fraud hath been practised, or may in -the least degree be suspected; but to conclude that, because an old -woman's fancy hath abused her, or some knavish fellow hath put tricks on -the ignorant and timorous, therefore whole assizes have been deceived in -judgment upon matters of fact, and that numbers of persons have been -forsworn in things wherein perjury could not advantage them, I say such -inferences are as void of charity as of good manners.... In things of fact -the people are as much to be believed as the most subtle philosophers and -speculators, since their sense is the judge, but in matters of notion and -theory they are not at all to be heeded, because Reason is to be the judge -of these, and this they know not how to use."[101] - -It must be frankly admitted that these records of trials--of which there -are such numerous examples in print--often contain principles and details -of a most disagreeable and offensive nature. They have been quoted at some -length, however, in order to point out exactly what for many years was -currently believed with regard to Witchcraft; and whatever fanciful -additions were made, or whatever superstitious garnishings were added to -such accounts, by the ignorant or half-informed, there can be little doubt -that, after all reasonable deductions had been made, there was a -considerable substratum of truth underlying each of them, which ought not -to be ignored, and which cannot, on any satisfactory theory, be reasonably -explained away. - -In certain cases the subject of Witchcraft had a somewhat wide and vague -meaning. It not unfrequently covered the practices of all the so-called -"occult sciences," just as in the "Book of Daniel," "the magicians, the -astrologers,[102] the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers," classed together, -were together consulted; so it seems to have been in ancient times in -places, and amongst people who practised Witchcraft and Necromancy. -Invocations of the dead; the use of charms; watching the flight of birds; -"reading the stars;" interpreting dreams, and foretelling future events -by the aid of evil spirits, were all practices which, in a somewhat vague -but popular phraseology, came under the class of sins of the nature of -those directly condemned in Holy Scripture. - -One or two further remarks may be added upon the general subject. From the -amount of evidence which exists, it is impossible to deny that such a -power as Witchcraft has been frequently exercised, and consequently may be -put into practice again. It is idle to assert that it is a mere moral -epidemic, at least for those who take up a Christian standing-point, and -do not deny both the Inspiration of Holy Scripture and the Indefectibility -and Infallibility of the Church Universal, as well as, and in addition to, -well-authenticated historical facts. The practice of Witchcraft has, of -course, been more ordinary in countries which are not Catholic;[103] for -example in Scotland, Sweden, Germany, and North America; though, of -necessity it prevailed very largely with many in England from the period -of the Reformation until the beginning of the eighteenth century, as has -been already sufficiently shown. Thus, many who refused to hear, and abide -by, the message and guidance of Holy Church; who rejected the miracles and -mercies of the Almighty, were sometimes too ready to accept as true, and -participate in the weird works of necromancers, and sometimes to be duped -by the Prince of darkness, through the active instrumentality of his human -agents.[104] - -Without, at this point of our general argument, trenching unduly on a -detail of the subject in its most recent developments, which is carefully -considered at some length in later chapters, it may be well to give a -single example perfectly accurate and most satisfactorily authenticated. - -Here it is:--The friend of a distinguished Scotch peer wished for certain -important and valuable information, which in any ordinary, usual, and -common modes he was, it appears, altogether unable to obtain. He therefore -thought it right and proper to consult a "spiritual medium," and so held a -consultation, made an inquiry, and obtained a response. The following is -the authenticated record of this action:-- - -"A friend of mine was very anxious to find the Will of his grandmother, -who had been dead forty years, but could not even find the certificate of -her death. I went with him to the Marshall's[105] and we had a _séance_; -we sat at a table, and soon the raps came; my friend then asked his -questions _mentally_; he went over the alphabet himself, or sometimes I -did so, not knowing the question. We were told [that] the Will had been -drawn by a man named William Walter, who lived in Whitechapel; the name of -the street and the number of the house were given. We went to Whitechapel, -found the man, and subsequently, through his aid obtained a copy of the -draft; he was quite unknown to us, and had not always lived in that -locality, for he had once seen better days. The medium could not possibly -have known anything about the matter, and even if she had, her knowledge -would have been of no avail, as all the questions were mental ones."[106] - -The specific features of this account are so obvious and well defined, and -the account itself is so remarkably clear in all its various parts, that -nothing more needs to be added, than the simple remark, that if the old -and false principles of Witchcraft and Necromancy are not here again -present and energizing (only appropriately and properly draped in a -nineteenth-century garment, and carefully adapted to the tastes of refined -and educated people), it would be well to find some other principle by -which this, and thousands of other similar cases may be rationally and -openly explained and accounted for, and this from the standing-point of a -firm belief in Historical Christianity. - -From the point of view from which this book is written, it may be -reasonably maintained that recent "spiritual manifestations," as they are -termed, are very possibly only another mode by which in an age of superior -civilization the Prince of the Power of the air, adapting his delusions to -the less coarse tastes and sentiments of his anxious clients and inquiring -followers, produces "lying wonders," false miracles, and delusive -appearances; or unlawfully reveals secrets, affords information in the -present, and gives, or pretends to give, revelations as to the future. - -Many persons in the present day are ready enough (as well they may be,) to -become eloquent on the trivial absurdities and vulgar (too often dark and -obscene) contrivances of the Witchcraft of the seventeenth century. Be it -so. But perhaps, after all, the system as then worked was both skilfully, -intellectually, and well enough adapted for the purposes and aims which -its author had in hand. If the coarse-minded and uneducated of those days -so readily became its agents and workers, coarseness and ignorance were -reasonably and suitably, and perhaps of necessity, used in its operations. -Now, however, the persistent Enemy of mankind, "the Old Serpent,"[107] -appears to have adopted quite another course of tactics, less coarse it -may be, and less revolting (in some particulars) to the sentimental and -shallow, but equally efficacious for his diabolical purposes and eventual -success. Where Witchcraft was formerly practised by ten persons, its new -and more attractive phase, it is to be feared, is now accepted by -thousands. All this, and more, may be gathered later on, when the subject -of "Modern Spiritualism" is duly considered. - - - - -DREAMS, OMENS, WARNINGS, PRESENTIMENTS, AND SECOND SIGHT. - - -"And how will those modern wits, of which our age is so full, account for -this, who allow no God or Providence, no invisible world, no angelic kind -and waking spirits, who, by a secret correspondence with our embodied -spirits, give merciful hints to us of approaching mischief and impending -dangers; and that timely, so as to put the means into our hands to avoid -and escape them?"--_History and Reality of Apparitions_, _by_ Andrew -Moreton, Esq., p. 218. London: 1735. - - "The Soul's dark cottage, batter'd and decay'd, - Lets in new light through chinks which Time hath made." - Edmund Waller. - -"All who read this, I exhort in the Name of the Most Sacred Majesty of our -Most Blessed King, Jesus Christ, to be extremely suspicious of all such -extraordinary appearances, presentiments, trances and predictions; to -examine well and minutely everything; not to look upon those books, which -even pious souls in such a state have written, unconditionally as a divine -revelation; and not to believe their predictions, but to be persuaded, -that though some things may be fulfilled, others may not."--J. H. -Jung-Stilling, _On Forebodings_. London: 1834. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -DREAMS, OMENS, WARNINGS, PRESENTIMENTS, AND SECOND SIGHT. - - -The subjects here set forth for consideration (by which no slight progress -will be made in exhibiting such facts as serve to unfold and make manifest -more plainly the purpose of this treatise), are very wide in their scope. -A large volume might with no great difficulty be compiled upon each -separate subject; for the examples of remarkable dreams and supernatural -omens which are already on record, are exceedingly numerous,[108] while -the warnings and presentiments of danger and death, which are still often -vouchsafed, have been so notably providential in their purport, that many -of the mercifully-bestowed Glimpses of the Supernatural, brought before -the Editor's notice, can only be attributed generally to the goodness of -Almighty God, and particularly either to the intercession of His Saints, -the effectual fervent prayers of those still in the flesh, or the direct -intervention of His Holy Angels, the guardians and guides of Christians. - -Some dreams, especially those of an ordinary character, appear to consist -of the mere revival of old memories and associations regarding persons and -events which have long passed out of the mind, and seem to have been -forgotten. It is often quite impossible to trace the manner in which, or -the method by which, dreams arise; and certainly many of the facts -connected with them do not appear referable to any coherent principle with -which it may truly be said that man is perfectly acquainted. They are -mysterious; they are strange; they are supernatural. At the same time it -is impossible not to remember how frequently the sacred and divine -writings record examples of dreams, by which the Will of God was directly -made known of old to some of His favoured servants. The case of King -Abimelech, warned against taking Abraham's wife (whom he had untruly -called his sister), is an early instance in point.[109] So, too, are the -warnings and directions given by Almighty God to Jacob and Laban. The -dreams of Joseph likewise illustrate the principle which may be readily -discovered and comprehended by the help of Scripture, viz. that some -dreams, whatever others may be, are certainly from God, and ought not to -be disregarded. For the Almighty expressly pledged Himself to make known -His Will to His prophets both by dreams and in visions.[110] And it was by -the former that He appeared to Solomon, graciously and mercifully offering -him a response to any request he might make. "Ask what I shall give thee." -The dreams and visions of Daniel, the Hebrew Prophet, likewise of S. -Joseph of Nazareth, both with regard to the Blessed Virgin and the malice -of Herod; the warning dreams of the Three Eastern Kings; that of Pilate's -wife, and others equally remarkable, are familiar to us all. So that, -whatever theories may be excogitated by some, it is impossible for -Christians to hold any novel and fantastic ideas, which would sweep away -those links which in dreams and visions may still bind together the -natural with the supernatural, and by which, from time to time, in the -present day, warnings and necessary lessons may sometimes be mercifully -vouchsafed and imparted. - -A considerable difficulty has been experienced by the Editor, not only in -testing recent examples which have been brought before him, but in -inducing those who supplied him with them, to allow the use and support of -their names.[111] In the cases to be given, he has spared no reasonable -trouble in their investigation; and, where they are not matters of history -(received and recognized by those who are satisfied with an application of -the ordinary laws of evidence), the reader may rely on the fact that they -have not been embodied in this volume without the most anxious inquiry and -careful sifting of their truth and accuracy. - -Thus much as to his purport and intent. Now let the examples of remarkable -dreams be put on record; after a brief reference has been made to the -belief and expressions of opinion of certain early Christian writers, -obviously formulated upon the basis of scriptural assertions and sacred -examples of old. - -When the body sleeps, as Tertullian remarks,[112] it takes its own -peculiar refreshment, but that refreshment not being adapted to the soul, -which does not rest, she during the inactivity of the bodily members -employs her own. Then in his treatise "On the Soul,"[113] he proceeds to -distinguish between the hallucination of dreaming and insanity. Dreaming -is agreeable to the course and order of Nature, he maintains; but he -rejects the doctrine of Epicurus, in which dreams are disparaged as idle -and fortuitous. He further expresses his conviction that future honours, -dignities, medical remedies, thefts and treasure have been revealed by -dreams--testimonies to which are both numerous and strong. Many dreams, -specially those which are vain, frivolous, impure, and turbulent, may be -attributed to demons. Others, again, proceed from God or holy angels, as -one portion of prophecy. - -Lactantius, in a short passage of his well-known "Tract,"[114] expresses -his conviction of divine agency in dreams. He maintains that the undoubted -testimony of History presents mankind with several most remarkable -verifications of dreams; and he repeats what Tertullian had already -maintained, viz. that part of the economy of prophecy depends upon them. -He holds that Virgil's evidence may be admitted, that dreams are neither -always true nor always false. - -Again, S. Cyprian states that he was divinely instructed in a dream to mix -a little water with the wine for the Holy Eucharist.[115] On the general -subject, S. Basil warns those who may be ready to attribute too great -importance to dreams, to rest contented with the written revelation of -Almighty God in Holy Scripture.[116] S. Bernard, the last of the Fathers, -treats of dreams at great length in his remarkable sermon "On Sleep," -which is full of sage advice of the same nature as that set forth by S. -Basil; and so does S. Thomas Aquinas, who discusses the subject with -singular breadth, fulness, and system, arriving at the conclusion that it -is unreasonable to deny anything--the truth of which is affirmed by -general experience; and he adds that general experience affirms that -dreams very frequently give indications of coming events; and therefore, -concludes that it is lawful to interpret and endeavour to comprehend -them.[117] But at this point, he goes on to maintain that only those -dreams which are suggested by angels may be investigated and interpreted, -those suggested by demons and evil spirits being left alone. But -unfortunately he provides no criterion by which the one class may be -safely and truly distinguished from the other; nor is it easy to supply -the deficiency. - -From another point of view, a thoughtful modern writer[118] has remarked -that "dreams are uniformly the resuscitation or re-embodiment of thoughts -which have formerly, in some shape or other, occupied the mind. They are -old ideas revived, either in an entire state, or heterogeneously mingled -together. I doubt if it be possible," he continues, "for a person to have -in a dream, any idea whose elements did not, in some form, strike him at a -previous period. If these break loose from their connecting chain, and -become jumbled together incoherently, as is often the case, they give rise -to absurd combinations; but the elements still subsist, and only manifest -themselves in a new and unconnected shape." - -This, and such as this, may be quite true; but yet whatever theories the -scientific may propound which seem to oppose the facts of man's -experience, will not in the long run command that adhesion which for -awhile they may possibly obtain. And now for examples: - -The Dream of the so-called "Swaffham Tinker"[119] is singular, and may -well be here reproduced, because it represents an example of the practical -results of dreaming, which is quite worthy of consideration:-- - -"This Tinker, a hard-working, industrious man, one night dreamed that if -he took a journey to London, and placed himself at a certain spot on -London Bridge, he should meet one who would tell him something of great -importance to his future prospects. The Tinker, on whom the dream made a -deep impression, related it fully to his wife in the morning; who, -however, half-laughed at him and half-scolded him for his folly in heeding -such idle fancies. Next night he is said to have re-dreamed the dream; and -again on the third night, when the impression was so powerful on his mind -that he determined, in spite of the remonstrances of his wife and the -ridicule of his neighbours, to go to London and see the upshot of it. -Accordingly he set off for the metropolis on foot, reached it late on the -third day (the distance was ninety miles), and, after the refreshment of a -night's rest, took his station next day on a part of the Bridge answering -to the description in his dream. There he stood all day, and all the -next, and all the third, without any communication as to the purpose of -his journey; so that towards night, on the third day, he began to lose -patience and confidence in his dream, inwardly cursed his folly in -disregarding his wife's counsel, and resolved next day to make the best of -his way home. He still kept his station, however, till late in the -evening, when, just as he was about to depart, a stranger who had noticed -him standing stedfastly and with anxious look on the same spot for some -days, accosted him, and asked him what he waited there for. After a little -hesitation, the Tinker told his errand, though without acquainting him -with the name of the place whence he came. The stranger enjoyed a smile at -the rustic's simplicity, and advised him to go home and for the future to -pay no attention to dreams. 'I myself,' said he, 'if I were disposed to -put faith in such things, might now go a hundred miles into the country -upon a similar errand. I dreamed three nights this week that if I went to -a place called Swaffham in Norfolk, and dug under an apple-tree in a -certain garden on the north side of the town I should find a box of money; -but I have something else to do than run after such idle fancies! No, no, -my friend; go home, and work well at your calling, and you will find there -the riches you are seeking here.' The astonished Tinker did not doubt that -this was the communication he had been sent to London to receive, but he -merely thanked the stranger for his advice, and went away avowing his -intention to follow it. Next day he set out for home, and on his arrival -there said little to his wife touching his journey; but next morning he -rose betimes and began to dig on the spot he supposed to be pointed out by -the stranger. When he had got a few feet down, the spade struck upon -something hard, which turned out to be an iron chest. This he quickly -carried to his house, and when he had with difficulty wrenched open the -lid, found it, to his great joy, to be full of money. After securing his -treasure, he observed on the lid of the box an inscription, which, -unlearned as he was, he could not decipher. But by a stratagem he got the -description read without any suspicion on the part of his neighbours by -some of the Grammar School lads, and found it to be-- - - 'Where this stood - Is another twice as good.' - -And in truth on digging again the lucky Tinker disinterred, below the -place where the first chest had lain, a second twice as large, also full -of gold and silver coin. It is stated that, become thus a wealthy man, the -Tinker showed his thankfulness to Providence by building a new chancel to -the church, the old one being out of repair. And whatever fiction the -marvellous taste of those ages may have mixed up with the tale, certain it -is that there is shown to this day a monument in Swaffham Church, having -an effigy in marble, said to be that of the Tinker with his Dog at his -side and his tools and implements of trade lying about him." - -Among the various histories of singular dreams and corresponding events, -the following, which occurred in the early part of the eighteenth century, -seems to merit being here placed on record. Its authenticity will appear -from the relation; and it may surely be maintained that a more -extraordinary concurrence of fortuitous and accidental circumstances can -scarcely be produced or paralleled:-- - -"One Adam Rogers, a creditable and decent man of good sense and repute, -who kept an inn at Portlaw, a small hamlet nine or ten miles from -Waterford, in Ireland, dreamed one night that he saw two men at a -particular green spot on the adjoining mountain; one of them a small, -sickly-looking man, the other remarkably strong and large. He then saw the -latter man murder the other, upon which he awoke in great agitation. - -"The circumstances of the dream were so distinct and forcible that he -continued much affected by them. He related them to his wife, and also to -several neighbours next morning. - -"In some time he went out coursing with greyhounds, accompanied amongst -others by one Mr. Browne, the Roman Catholic priest of the parish. He soon -stopped at the above-mentioned particular green spot on the mountain, and -calling Mr. Browne, pointed it out to him, and told him what had happened -there. During the remainder of the day he thought little more about it. - -"Next morning he was extremely startled at seeing two strangers enter his -house at about eleven o'clock in the forenoon. He immediately went into an -inner room, and desired his wife to take particular notice, for they were -precisely the two men he had seen in his dream. - -"After the strangers had taken some refreshment, and were about to depart -in order to prosecute their journey, Rogers earnestly entreated the little -man at once to quit his fellow-traveller. He assured him that if he would -remain with him that day he would accompany him to Carrick the next -morning--that being the town to which the travellers were proceeding. He -was unwilling and ashamed to tell the cause of his being so solicitous to -separate him from his companion. But as he observed that Hickey (which was -the name of the little man) seemed to be quiet and gentle in his -deportment, and had money about him, and that the other had a ferocious, -bad countenance, the dream still recurred to him. He dreaded that -something fatal would happen, and wished at all events to keep them -asunder. - -"However, the humane precautions of Rogers proved ineffectual, for -Caulfield (such was the other's name) prevailed upon Hickey to continue -with him on their way to Carrick, declaring that as they had long -travelled together, they should not part, but remain together until he -should see Hickey safely arrived at the habitation of his friends. The -wife of Rogers was much dissatisfied when she heard they were gone, and -blamed her husband exceedingly for not being absolutely peremptory in -detaining Hickey. - -"About an hour after they left Portlaw, in a lonely part of the mountain, -just near the place observed by Rogers in his dream, Caulfield took the -opportunity of murdering his companion. It appeared afterwards from his -own account of the horrid transaction, that as they were getting over a -ditch he struck Hickey on the back part of the head with a stone, and when -he fell down into the trench in consequence of the blow, Caulfield gave -him several stabs with a knife, and cut his throat so deeply that the head -was observed to be almost severed from his body. He then rifled Hickey's -pockets of all the money in them, took part of his clothes and everything -else of value about him, and afterwards proceeded on his way to Carrick. -He had not been long gone when the body, still warm, was discovered by -some labourers who were returning to their work from dinner. - -"The report of the murder soon reached Portlaw. Rogers and his wife went -to the place and instantly knew the body of him whom they had in vain -endeavoured to dissuade from going on with his treacherous companion. They -at once spoke out their suspicions that the murder was perpetrated by the -fellow-traveller of the deceased. An immediate search was made, and -Caulfield was apprehended at Waterford the second day after. - -"He was brought to trial at the ensuing assizes and convicted of the fact. -It appeared amongst other circumstances that when he went to Carrick he -hired a horse and a boy to conduct him--not by the usual road, but by that -which runs on the north side of the river Suir--to Waterford, intending to -take his passage in the first ship from thence to Newfoundland. The boy -took notice of some blood on his shirt, and Caulfield gave him a -half-crown to promise not to speak of it. - -"Rogers proved not only that Hickey was last seen in company with -Caulfield, but that a pair of new shoes which Hickey wore had been found -on the feet of Caulfield when he was apprehended; and that a pair of old -shoes which he had on at Rogers's house were upon Hickey's feet when the -body was found. He described with great exactness every article of their -clothes. Caulfield on the cross-examination, shrewdly asked him from the -dock whether it was not very extraordinary that he, who kept a -public-house, should take such particular notice of the dress of a -stranger accidentally calling there? Rogers in his answer said he had a -very particular reason, but he was ashamed to mention it. The court and -the prisoner insisted on his declaring it. He gave a circumstantial -narrative of his dream, called upon Mr. Browne, the priest, then in -court, to corroborate his testimony, and said that his wife had severely -reproached him for permitting Hickey to leave their house, when he knew -that in the short footway to Carrick they must necessarily pass by the -green spot in the mountain which had appeared in his dream. - -"A number of witnesses came forward, and the proofs were so strong that -the jury without hesitation found the prisoner guilty. - -"It was remarked as a singularity that he happened to be tried and -sentenced by his namesake, Sir George Caulfeild, at that time Lord Chief -Justice of the King's Bench, which office he resigned in the summer of the -year 1760. - -"After sentence Caulfield confessed the fact. It came that Hickey had been -in the West Indies two and twenty years, but falling into a bad state of -health, he was returning to his native country (Ireland) bringing with him -some money his industry had acquired. The vessel on board which he took -his passage was, by stress of weather, driven into Minehead. He there met -with Frederick Caulfield, an Irish sailor, who was poor and much -distressed for clothes and common necessaries. Hickey compassionating his -poverty, and finding he was his countryman, relieved his wants, and an -intimacy commenced between them. They agreed to go to Ireland together; -and it was remarked on their passage that Caulfield spoke contemptuously, -and often said it was a pity that such a puny fellow as Hickey should -have money, and he himself without a shilling. They landed at Waterford, -at which place they stayed some days, Caulfield being all the time -supported by Hickey, who bought some clothes for him. The assizes being -held in the town during that time, it was afterwards recollected that they -were both at the Court-house, and attended the whole of a trial of a -shoemaker who was convicted of the murder of his wife. But this made no -impression on the hardened mind of Caulfield, for the very next day he -perpetrated the same crime on the road between Waterford and -Carrick-on-Suir, near which town Hickey's relations lived. - -"He walked to the gallows with firm step and undaunted countenance. He -spoke to the multitude who surrounded him, and in the course of his -address mentioned that he had been bred at a charter-school, from which he -was taken as an apprenticed servant by William Izod, Esq., of the county -of Kilkenny. From this position he ran away on being corrected for some -faults, and had been absent from Ireland six years. He confessed also that -he had several times intended to murder Hickey on the road from Waterford -to Portlaw, which, though in general not a road much frequented, yet -people at that time continually coming in sight, prevented him. - -"Being frustrated in all his schemes, the sudden and total disappointment -threw him probably into an indifference for life. Some tempers are so -stubborn and rugged that nothing can affect them, but immediate sensation. -If to this be united the darkest ignorance, death to such characters will -hardly seem terrible, because they can form no conception of what it is, -and still less of the consequences that may follow." - -The record of the following dream is certainly curious and interesting, -and is perfectly well authenticated, coming as it does from the pen of the -gentleman's son more immediately concerned, who testified as to its -literal fulfilment:-- - -"In the year 1768 my father, Matthew Talbot, Esq., of Castle Talbot, in -the county of Wexford, was much surprised at the recurrence of a dream -three several times during the same night, which caused him to repeat the -whole circumstance to his lady the following morning. He dreamed that he -had arisen as usual and descended to his library, the morning being hazy. -He then seated himself at his _secrétaire_ to write; when, happening to -look up a long avenue of trees opposite the window, he perceived a man in -a blue jacket mounted on a white horse coming towards the house. My father -arose and opened the window. The man advancing, presented him with a roll -of papers, and told him they were invoices of a vessel which had been -wrecked and had drifted in during the night on his son-in-law's, Lord -Mountmorris's, estate close by, and signed '_Bell and Stephenson_.' My -father's attention was only called to the dream from its frequent -recurrence: but, when he found himself seated at his desk on the misty -morning, and beheld the identical person whom he had seen in his dream in -the blue coat riding on the grey horse, he felt surprised, and opening the -window waited the man's approach. He immediately rode up, and drawing from -his pocket a packet of papers, gave them to my father, stating they were -invoices belonging to an American vessel which had been wrecked, and -drifted in upon his lordship's estate; that there was no person on board -to lay claim to the wreck, but that the invoices were signed '_Stephenson -and Bell_.' I assure you that the above is most faithfully given by me as -it actually occurred; but it is not more extraordinary than other examples -of the prophetic powers of the mind or soul in sleep which I have -frequently heard related."[120] - -Another remarkable dream, exceedingly well authenticated by an aunt of the -Editor of this volume, is now set forth in detail and at some length:-- - -"On the night of the 11th of May, 1812, Mr. Williams, of Scorrier House, -near Redruth, in Cornwall, awoke his wife, and exceedingly agitated, told -her that he had dreamed that he was in the lobby of the House of Commons, -and saw a man shoot with a pistol a gentleman who had just entered the -lobby, who was said to be the Chancellor, to which Mrs. Williams naturally -replied that it was only a dream, and recommended him to be composed, and -go to sleep as soon as he could. - -"He did so, but shortly after again woke her; and said that he had the -second time had the same dream; whereupon she observed that he had been so -much agitated with his former dream that she supposed it had dwelt on his -mind, and begged of him to try to compose himself and go to sleep, which -he did. A third time the same vision was repeated, on which, -notwithstanding her entreaties that he would be quiet, and endeavour to -forget it, he arose, being then between one and two o'clock, and dressed -himself. - -"At breakfast the dreams were the sole subject of conversation, and in the -forenoon Mr. Williams went to Falmouth, where he related the particulars -of them to all his acquaintance that he met. - -"On the following day, Mr. Tucker, of Trematon Castle, accompanied by his -wife, a daughter of Mr. Williams, went to Scorrier House about dusk. -Immediately after the first salutation, on their entering the parlour, -where were Mr., Mrs., and Miss Williams, Mr. Williams began to relate to -Mr. Tucker the circumstances of his dream; and Mrs. Williams observed to -her daughter, Mrs. Tucker, laughingly, that her father could not even -suffer Mr. Tucker to be seated before he told him of his nocturnal -visitation; on the statement of which Mr. Tucker observed that it would do -very well for a dream to have the Chancellor in the lobby of the House of -Commons, but that he would not be found there in reality; and Mr. Tucker -then asked what sort of man he appeared to be, when Mr. Williams minutely -described him; to which Mr. Tucker replied: 'Your description is not at -all that of the Chancellor, but is certainly very exactly that of Mr. -Perceval, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and although he has been to me -the greatest enemy I ever met with through life, for a supposed cause -which had no foundation in truth (or words to that effect), I should be -exceedingly sorry, indeed, to hear of his being assassinated, or of any -injury of the kind happening to him.' - -"Mr. Tucker then inquired of Mr. Williams if he had ever seen Mr. -Perceval, and was told that he never had seen him, nor had ever even -written to him, either on public or private business; in short, that he -never had had anything to do with him, nor had he ever been in the lobby -of the House of Commons in his life. - -"At this moment, whilst Mr. Williams and Mr. Tucker were still standing, -they heard a horse gallop to the door of the House, and immediately after, -Mr. Michael Williams of Trevince (son of Mr. Williams of Scorrier), -entered the room and said that he had galloped out from Truro (from which -Scorrier House is distant seven miles), having seen a gentleman there, who -had come by that evening's mail from London, who said that he was in the -lobby of the House of Commons, on the evening of the 11th, when a man -called Bellingham had shot Mr. Perceval, and that, as it might occasion -some great ministerial changes, and might affect Mr. Tucker's political -friends, he had come out as fast as he could to make him acquainted with -it, having heard at Truro that he had passed through that place in the -afternoon on his way to Scorrier. - -"After the astonishment which this intelligence had created had a little -subsided, Mr. Williams described most particularly the appearance and -dress of the man whom he had seen in his dream fire the pistol, as he had -before done of Mr. Perceval. - -"About six weeks after, Mr. Williams, having business in town, went -accompanied by a friend to the House of Commons, where (as has been -already observed) he had never before been. Immediately that he came to -the steps at the entrance of the lobby, he said: 'This place is as -distinctly within my recollection in my dream, as any room in my house,' -and he made the same observation when he entered the lobby. - -"He then pointed out the exact spot where Bellingham stood when he fired, -and where Mr. Perceval had reached when he was struck by the ball, and -where and how he fell. The dress, both of Mr. Perceval and Bellingham, -agreed with the descriptions given by Mr. Williams, even to the most -minute particular."[121] - -The number of records in which it is believed that dreams have been the -means by which murder has been discovered are so considerable; and some -are so well authenticated, that it is impossible, as it certainly would be -presumptuous, to endeavour to set them aside. The murder of Maria Marten -of Polstead in Suffolk, by William Corder, a farmer, in May of the year -1827, is a remarkable example:-- - -This unfortunate woman was induced to leave her home, and having -accompanied the man who, under the promise of marriage, had betrayed her, -to a certain barn, was there cruelly murdered and buried under the floor. -For nearly twelve months the murder was undiscovered; for Corder, who -remained away, but still communicated with her parents, maintained that -she had married him; that circumstances prevented his bringing her back to -his father's home: but that in due course they would both come, though it -was implied that they were both on the Continent. - -The mother of the murdered woman, however, about ten months after her -daughter's death, dreamed that her daughter had been murdered, and buried -under the floor of the barn. So strong and deep an impression did this -make both on her relations and the people of the village, that the girl's -father and others on April 19, 1828, took up the floor of the barn, where -they discovered the body of the murdered woman in a sack; and not so much -decayed but that obvious marks of violence were perceptible. The body was -successfully identified by the want of two teeth--one on the left side of -the upper jaw, and the other on the right side of the lower. In the -meantime Corder had married, and had gone to live in Essex, where he was -apprehended, tried, and condemned on the strongest circumstantial -evidence. He made a full confession of the murder when in prison, under -sentence of death, and was executed in August, 1828. - -The following sets forth how an impressive, vivid, and twice-repeated -dream induced a sailor to go to the place dreamed of, and rescue three -suffering fellow-creatures from a horrible death. It was related to a -Cornish friend, as a matter of fact, by a native of the island of -Alderney, and is quite worthy of being here recorded:-- - -"Some few years before the erection of those well-known lighthouses called -the Caskets, near that island, an islander dreamed that a ship had been -wrecked near those rocks, and that some part of the crew had saved -themselves upon them. This dream he related on the quay; but the sailors -(although the most superstitious people in the world) treated it as an -idle fancy. Yet the next night produced the same dream, and the man would -no longer be laughed out of it; so he prevailed upon a companion the next -morning to take a boat and go with him to the rock, where they found three -poor wretches half-starved with cold and hunger, and brought them on -shore. This circumstance, and the supposed loss of the 'Victory' on this -rock, the islanders give as a reason for erecting three lighthouses -there." - -Still more remarkable perhaps is the following, which, telling its own -story, and abundantly illustrating the reality of the Supernatural, needs -no comment:-- - -"The Rev. Mr. Perring, Vicar of a parish which is now a component part of -London, though, about forty-five years ago it had the appearance of a -village at the outskirts, had to encounter the sad affliction of losing -his eldest Son at an age when parents are encouraged to believe their -children are to become their survivors; the youth dying in his seventeenth -year. He was buried in the vaults of the church. - -"Two nights subsequently to that interment, the father dreamed[122] that -he saw his Son habited in a shroud spotted with blood, the expression of -his countenance being that of a person enduring some paroxysm of acute -pain: 'Father, father! come and defend me!' were the words he distinctly -heard, as he gazed on this awe-inspiring apparition; 'they will not let me -rest quiet in my coffin.' - -"The venerable man awoke with terror and trembling; but after a brief -interval of painful reflection concluded himself to be labouring under the -influence of his sad day-thoughts, and the depression of past sufferings; -and with these rational assurances commended himself to the All-Merciful, -and slumbered again and slept. - -"He saw his Son again beseeching him to protect his remains from outrage, -'For,' said the apparently surviving dead one, 'they are mangling my body -at this moment.' The unhappy Father rose at once, being now unable to -banish the fearful image from his mind, and determined when day should -dawn to satisfy himself of the delusiveness or verity of the revelation -conveyed through this seeming voice from the grave. - -"At an early hour, accordingly, he repaired to the Clerk's house, where -the keys of the church and of the vaults were kept. The Clerk after -considerable delay, came down-stairs, saying it was very unfortunate he -should want them just on that very day, as his son over the way had taken -them to the smith's for repair,--one of the largest of the bunch of keys -having been broken off short in the main door of the vault, so as to -render it impracticable for anybody to enter till the lock had been picked -and taken off. - -"Impelled by the worst misgivings, the Vicar loudly insisted on the -Clerk's accompanying him to the blacksmith's--not for a key but for a -crowbar, it being his resolute determination to enter the vault and see -his Son's coffin without a moment's delay. - -"The recollections of the dream were now becoming more and more vivid, and -the scrutiny about to be made assumed a solemnity mingled with awe, which -the agitation of the father rendered terrible to the agents in this -forcible interruption into the resting-place of the dead. But the hinges -were speedily wrenched asunder--the bar and bolts were beaten in and bent -beneath the heavy hammer of the smith,--and at length with tottering and -outstretched hands, the maddened parent stumbled and fell: his son's -coffin had been lifted from the recess at the vault's side and deposited -on the brick floor; the lid, released from every screw, lay loose at top, -and the body, enveloped in its shroud, on which were several dark spots -below the chin, lay exposed to view; the head had been raised, the broad -riband had been removed from under the jaw, which now hung down with the -most ghastly horror of expression, as if to tell with more terrific -certainty the truth of the preceding night's vision. _Every tooth in the -head had been drawn._ - -"The young man had when living a beautiful set of sound teeth. The Clerk's -Son, who was a barber, cupper, and dentist, had possessed himself of the -keys, and eventually of the teeth, for the purpose of profitable -employment of so excellent a set in his line of business. The feelings of -the Rev. Mr. Perring can be easily conceived. The event affected his mind -through the remaining term of his existence; but what became of the -delinquent whose sacrilegious hand had thus rifled the tomb was never -afterwards correctly ascertained. He decamped the same day, and was -supposed to have enlisted as a soldier. The Clerk was ignominiously -displaced, and did not long survive the transaction. Some years -afterwards, his house was pulled down to afford room for extensive -improvements and new buildings in the village. - -"As regards the occurrence itself, few persons were apprised of it; as the -Vicar--shunning public talk and excitement on the subject of any member of -his family--exerted himself in concealing the circumstances as much as -possible. The above facts, however, may be strictly relied on as -accurate." - -A somewhat similar dream is recorded in the following statement, copied -from the public prints, the fact of which has been authenticated by a -correspondent in Scotland, who furnished the Editor with it. The -paragraph, now to be quoted, appeared some years ago in the "Scotsman" -newspaper, and was quoted in the "Times" of Tuesday, April 25, 1865:-- - -"The legal proceedings which lately took place in the Sheriff Court of -Clackmannanshire, with regard to the violation of a grave in the -churchyard at Alloa, and the unwarrantable exhumation of the body of James -Quin, had their origin, it is stated, in a remarkable dream of the mother -of the deceased. Young Quin died in September, 1863, and was buried in a -lair in the churchyard, which was purchased by his father from William -Donaldson, the Kirk Treasurer, it being agreed that the price was to be -paid by instalments. About six months afterwards, Robert Blair, the sexton -or grave-digger, took upon himself (without the authority, it would -appear, of Donaldson) to sell the same lair to another person, and to -inter therein a relative of the new purchaser, without, however, at the -time exhuming the body of Quin, the former tenant. Some considerable time -after this the mother of Quin being desirous of erecting a head-stone on -the grave of her son, made some inquiries with that view, in the course of -which she heard something of another person having been buried in his -grave, this having, as she stated, been 'cast up' by Blair's nephew to a -younger son of hers on their way from Sunday-school. But the grave-digger -denied the truth of this story, and managed to pacify her. Feeling, -however, that he had got into a scrape by the lair having been resold, he, -some weeks after Mrs. Quin had interrogated him on the subject, dug up the -body of her son during the night of Thursday, the 23rd of March last, and -reinterred it in the other ground. Now, on that very Thursday night, as -sworn to by Mrs. Quin, at the trial, she had this remarkable dream:-- - -"She dreamt that her boy stood in his nightgown, at her bedside, and said -to her, 'Oh, mother, put me back to my own bed.' She then awoke her -husband, and forgetting in her half-dreaming state that her son was dead, -said to him, 'Jemmie is out of his bed; put him back into it;' after which -she fell asleep, and again had the same dream. - -"A third time, during the same night, she dreamt that her son was standing -beside her bed; but on this occasion remembering that he was dead, the -figure of the grave-digger was mixed up with that of the boy, and he -appeared to be shoving his spade into the body. Awakening in great -trepidation, and feeling certain that her boy had been taken out of his -grave, she went to the grave-digger and vehemently accused him of having -dug up the body, which, after prevarication, he at last admitted. Hence -arose the action of damages against Donaldson, the Kirk Treasurer, and -Blair, the grave-digger, which being restricted to twelve pounds was -brought in the Small Debt Court. The Sheriff, after a long proof, -assoilzied Donaldson, and found Blair liable in damages, which, the -parties not having settled the same extrajudicially, have since been -assessed at five pounds." - -Another dream, equally remarkable, by which a warning was given, and in a -measure attended to by the dreamer, now follows; although not so weirdly -tragic as that relating to the Perring Family, yet it efficiently serves -to shadow forth the proximity of the spiritual world; and, it may be, in -this example, the direct intervention of a guardian-angel:-- - -"Some years ago a clergyman named W---- was visiting an old college -friend, Canon Hutchinson of Blurton Vicarage, near Trentham, and being a -good pedestrian, proposed to accomplish his journey home again from -Trentham to Birmingham, which place he desired to reach by ten o'clock one -morning, on foot. In order to do this he intended to leave Blurton at four -o'clock a.m. on a certain day; and so retired to rest the previous evening -at an unusually early hour. During the night he had a vivid and remarkable -dream, which deeply impressed him. He dreamt that whilst he was on his -walking journey between Tamworth and Sutton, upon a very lonely road -enclosed by tall hedges, he heard a rough voice cry out, 'Ah, Jack, are -you there?' and looking round saw two exceedingly ill-looking men jumping -down from an elevated part of the bank under the hedge, and alighting -close to him on the path below. Their countenances and suspicious bearing -seemed to bespeak their evil intentions. Presently one of them all of a -sudden presented a pistol at him. The clergyman imagined that he had only -a moment or two in which to commend his soul to God, which he did with -earnestness, when the pistol was fired and his life thus taken away. Here -the dream ended and he awoke. It left an uneasy impression on his mind, -but being naturally of an undaunted spirit, and a firm believer in the -protection of Almighty God, he did not hesitate to leave his friend's -house at the early period determined on. After walking for about an hour -and a half, and when a few miles from Sutton Coldfield, where all of a -sudden, as regards locality, he realized the minutest details of the -dream, two men coming through the hedge suddenly overtook him. One -addressed the other in the words already set forth. They were in every -particular, even to features, dress, and demeanour, identical with those -whom he had seen in the dream. They accompanied him, keeping close to his -side, and watched him with very mysterious looks. He was deeply startled -and alarmed, but lifted up his heart to God for guidance, direction, and -protection. Soon they all reached a broad and dreary common, upon the -extreme distant edge of which stood a small inn, whither he resolved to go -for refreshment in the hope of shaking off his companions. Here for awhile -they separated; but, on entering the house and asking to be supplied with -tea, he found that the two men had followed him, and were asking for -refreshments likewise. After waiting for some time, he determined on -leaving the inn by a path at its back entrance, which, from knowing -something of the locality, he believed would take him by a nearer way to -Sutton Coldfield. This turned out to be the case; for by his action he -successfully avoided the two tramps, who were afterwards taken up and -imprisoned for some marked offence against the laws of the land."[123] - -A warning of a very similar character may now be narrated, in which the -curious point seems to be that it was given so many years before it was -needed, though its efficiency was fully made manifest when the actual -danger threatened:-- - -"The Housekeeper of a county family in Oxfordshire dreamt one night that -she had been left alone in the house upon a Sunday evening, and that -hearing a knock at the door of the chief entrance, she went to it, and -there found an ill-looking tramp armed with a bludgeon, who insisted on -forcing himself into the house. She thought that she struggled for some -time to prevent him so doing, but quite ineffectually; and that being -struck down by him and rendered insensible, he thereupon gained ingress -to the mansion. On this she awoke. - -"She at once mentioned her dream to some of her fellow-servants, and also, -a few days later, to the Master of the House. The latter, smiling, -pooh-poohed it; but remarked that 'all the greater care should be taken by -the servants to see that the fastenings were secure.' - -"As nothing happened for a considerable period, the circumstance of the -dream was soon forgotten; and, as she herself asserts, had altogether -passed away from her mind. However, many years afterwards, this same -Housekeeper was left with two other servants to take charge of an isolated -mansion at Kensington (subsequently the town residence of the family), -when, on a certain Sunday evening, her fellow-servants having gone out and -left her alone, she was suddenly startled by a loud knock at the front -door. - -"All of a sudden the remembrance of her former dream returned to her with -singular vividness and remarkable force, and she felt her lonely isolation -greatly. Accordingly, having at once lighted a lamp on the hall -table--during which act the loud knock was repeated with vigour--she took -the precaution to go up to a landing on the stair, throw up the window, -and there, to her intense terror, she saw in the flesh the very man whom -years previously she had seen in her dream, armed with a bludgeon and -demanding an entrance. With great presence of mind she went down to the -chief entrance, made that and other doors and windows more secure, and -then rang the various bells of the house violently, and placed lights in -the upper rooms. It was concluded that by these acts the intruder was -scared away. It turned out afterwards that the lodge-keeper, having left -two children to guard the entrance, they had been terrified into admitting -the tramp into the garden; and that the latter had fastened them into the -lodge, where they were found in a considerable state of alarm by the two -servants on their return home."[124] - -Another example of a warning attended to, which had been given in a dream, -and acted upon immediately afterwards, comes to the Editor on conclusive -evidence of its undoubted truth and authenticity: - -A Scotch lady, a relation of the late J. R. Hope Scott, Esq., of -Abbotsford, dreamt that her nephew, a promising young student of the -University of Edinburgh, had been drowned with two companions with whom -he had made an engagement to take an excursion by boat on the Frith of -Forth. So much impressed was she by this dream, that she rose two hours -earlier than usual in the morning, and sent off her man-servant at once to -prevail upon her nephew to give up his engagement. On being pressed he did -so. His companions (who had also been warned not to go,) went without him, -and alone, that is, without an experienced sailor. The boat was capsized -and they were both drowned. - -In the case which is now to follow, the warning given, not having been -acted upon at once, came too late. It was narrated to the Editor, _vivâ -voce_, in 1866, by the late Dr. J. M. Neale:-- - -"In the autumn of the year 1845, one of the maid-servants of the then -rector of Shepperton, a village on the Thames, near Chertsey, dreamed that -her brother, a respectable and steady youth belonging to that place, was -drowned. The dream was singularly vivid. In it she further imagined that -she actually went to search for her brother's body, and that, after -seeking for some time, she found it at a certain part of the river, which -she knew well, near the brink, and in a particular position. This dream -took place on a Saturday night. When she awoke on the Sunday morning, she -at once acquainted her fellow-servant (who saw how deep an impression the -dream had evidently made), and remarked that she ought at once to obtain -her master's leave to go home on the morrow, and warn her brother, who -was unable to swim, not to go out on to the river. The leave was given, -and her home was soon reached, but alas! the warning had come too late. -Her brother had gone rowing on the Sunday evening, the boat was -accidentally upset, and he was drowned. The body was not recovered for -some time; nor was it found near the spot where the accident had happened. -But it was found by the poor youth's sister, lower down the river, and -exactly in the same place and position as had been so forcibly and clearly -prefigured in her impressive dream." - -The following example of a dream which occurred about twenty years ago, by -which the fact of a murder was made known, being likewise well -authenticated and of considerable interest, is now set forth:-- - -"On Saturday, the 30th of July, 1853, the dead body of a young woman was -discovered in a field at Littleport, in the isle of Ely. The body has not -yet been identified, and there can be little doubt that the young woman -was murdered. At the adjourned inquest, held on the 29th August before Mr. -William Marshall, one of the coroners for the Isle, the following -extraordinary evidence was given:-- - -"James Jessop, an elderly, respectable-looking labourer, with a face of -the most perfect stolidity, and who possessed a most curiously-shaped -skull, broad and flat on the top, and projecting greatly on each side over -the ears, deposed--'I live about a furlong and a half from where the body -was found. I have seen the body of the deceased. I have never seen her -before her death. On the night of Friday, the 29th of July, I dreamt three -successive times that I heard the cry of murder issuing from near the -bottom of a close called Little Ditchment Close (the place where the body -was found). The first time I dreamt I heard the cry it awoke me. I fell -asleep again and dreamt the same thing. I then awoke again and told my -wife I could not rest, but I dreamt it again after that. I got up between -four and five o'clock, but I did not go down to the close, the wheat and -barley in which has been since cut. - -"'I dreamt once about twenty years ago that I saw a woman hanging in a -barn, and on passing the next morning the barn which had appeared to me in -my dream, I entered and did find a woman there hanging, and cut her down -in time to save her life. I never told my wife that I heard cries of -"murder," but I have mentioned it to several persons since. I saw the body -on the Saturday it was found. I did not mention my dream to any one till a -day or two after that. I saw the field distinctly in my dream and the -trees therein, but I saw no person in it. On the night of the murder the -wind lay from that spot to my house.' - -"Rhoda Jessop, wife of the last witness, stated that her husband related -his dreams to her on the evening of the day that the body was -found."[125] - -Another case, deeply interesting, and certainly more dramatic in the -nature and importance of the very practical results which followed from -the action taken upon it, than even that already recorded of the Perring -family (for it greatly benefited the living), is now narrated. The -interesting account, which, with the greatest simplicity, and in the -actual words of the persons advantaged, records the plain facts, tells its -own story with considerable power. Frivolous and pointless as are so many -dreams, without intelligible purpose or sequence of action, this is one -which it may be reasonably held can only be explained by a firm belief in -a superintending Providence, in other words in Almighty God, Who, as an -old writer asserts, "sometimes warneth and instructeth in dreams," and Who -mercifully uses the ministry both of angels and men for carrying out His -Divine purpose:-- - -"A Gloucestershire gentleman in good circumstances, who for many years had -lived a retired life, quite apart from his relations, some of whom in a -previous year had been cast in a lawsuit with him for the recovery of -certain properties, suddenly died, and, as was supposed, died intestate. - -"He had long intended, at the advice of the Rector of the village in which -he dwelt, and with whom alone he was on terms of intimacy, to make certain -provisions by will on behalf of the relations in question, who had lost -much by his successful lawsuit. However, this (as was believed by his -family lawyer, residing in an adjacent country town, who proceeded to -settle his affairs) had not been done; and the whole of his property -consequently seemed likely to go to his heir-at-law, a man of property, -almost unknown to him. - -"Five months after his death, however, the Rector of the parish in which -he had lived, had what he termed 'a waking dream,' in which he imagined -that the deceased gentleman came to him in sorrow, and solemnly conjured -him to obtain possession of a Will, which had been duly made by him in -London a few months before his decease, and which was in the custody of a -firm of attorneys there, which Will was so drawn as that the relations in -question should greatly benefit by the just and righteous disposition -therein of his property. Imagining the dream to be only a dream and -nothing more, he took no notice of it, and regarded it as the mere result -of his own imagination. - -"In about a fortnight, however, the identical dream occurred again--with -the simple difference that the deceased gentleman bore an expression of -deeper grief, and appeared to urge him, in still stronger terms, to obtain -the Will. The Rector was much impressed by this; but on careful reflection -upon the following day, appeared indisposed, on such testimony, to -interfere with arrangements which were then being made for the settlement -of the deceased person's affairs, on the supposition that he had left no -Will. And consequently he did nothing. - -"A third time, however, about eight days afterwards, he had the same -dream, with certain additional details of import and moment. The deceased -person, as the Rector imagined, appearing once again, urged him most -vehemently and solemnly to do as he wished, and to go and obtain the Will. -A conversation took place as it were in the dream, and the clergyman set -forth many cogent arguments why he should not be called upon to undertake -a work, which might not only be misunderstood, but might render him liable -to misrepresentations, if not to trouble and annoyance. - -"However, at last he consented, and, in his dream, accompanied the -deceased person to a certain lawyer's office at a certain number, on a -certain floor in Staple Inn, on the south side of Holborn, where the -drawer in a writing-table was opened, and he saw the packet containing the -Will sealed in three places, with the deceased person's armorial bearings. -The whole room was before him vividly. It was panelled in oak, picked out -with white and pale green, and over the mantel-piece hung an engraving of -Lord Eldon. - -"The Rector awoke, and resolved without delay to do as he was enjoined. -Before proceeding, he mentioned the circumstance of the thrice-repeated -dream to a clerical friend, who volunteered to accompany him to London on -his important errand. - -"They went together. Neither had ever been to Staple Inn before; nor did -they know its exact whereabouts. On inquiry, however, it was soon found. -And so was the room and office, with the furniture and print of Lord -Eldon, which had been seen beforehand by the Rector in the dream, to his -intense awe and wonderment. Even the peculiar handles of the -writing-table, which were of brass and old-fashioned, were those which had -been clearly apparent. The identical drawer was opened, and the Will, -secured in an envelope of stout paper and sealed with three impressions, -was found, just as it had been seen in the dream. The lawyer, who at once -gave every facility for inquiry, was a junior partner in the firm which -had drawn it up, and had only recently come to London, from a cathedral -city, where the firm in question had a branch office, on the death of the -chief partner. The Will was found to be good and valid, and was in due -course proved. Under it the relations, who had so suffered by the loss of -their law-suit as to have been almost reduced to penury, obtained their -due. The whole of these facts are vouched for by a friend of the Editor of -this book."[126] - -The following example of presentiment of death is also well authenticated. -It occurred on board one of the ships of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth in -the year 1850. From the MS. account, furnished by one thoroughly able to -give an exact record, the following is taken:-- - -"The officers being one day at the Mess-table, a young Lieutenant -R----suddenly laid down his knife and fork, pushed away his plate, and -turned extremely pale. He then rose from the table, covering his face with -his hands, and retired from the room. The President of the mess, supposing -him to be ill, sent one of the young men to inquire what was the matter. -At first Mr. R---- was unwilling to speak; but, on being pressed, he -confessed that he had been seized by a sudden and irresistible impression -that a brother he had in India was dead. 'He died,' said he, 'on the 12th -of August at six o'clock, I am perfectly sure of it.' No argument could -overthrow this conviction, which, in due course of post, was verified to -the letter. The young man had died at Cawnpore at the precise period -mentioned." - -Under the heading of "Singular Prognostication," "The Times" of April the -17th, 1865, copies from the "Cornish Telegraph" the narrative of a then -recent dream of a young clergyman of the county of Cornwall, which was -almost immediately followed by the accidental death of the dreamer:-- - -"On Wednesday last, the Rev. Stephen Barclay Drury, an unmarried -clergyman of twenty-six, who has for about twelve months acted as the -curate of Phillack and Gwithian, had a conversation with the brother of -the Rector of those parishes,[127] Mr. Charles Hockin, and related a -dream, which he described as a very singular one, and as having made a -deep impression on him. - -"His words were: 'I dreamt I was to be buried, and I followed my coffin -into the church, and thence to the tomb. I took no part in the service, -and when we came to the tomb, I looked into it, and saw it was very nice. -I then asked the undertaker who was to be buried, and he answered, "You." -I then said, "I am not to be buried, I am not dead." The undertaker then -said, "I must be paid for the coffin," upon which I awoke.' - -"On Sunday morning and afternoon Mr. Drury officiated at Gwithian, and -after the second service remained with the children to practise singing. - -"Returning to his lodgings in Gwithian at half-past four, he waited a -little, took with him Thomas à Kempis' 'De Imitatione Christi,' and set -out for a walk, accompanied by a Newfoundland dog. He asked for a bit of -cord, as he might give the dog a dip, and started in his usually cheerful -and happy mood. In an hour and a half the dog returned with the cord -around his neck. - -"Mr. Drury was never again seen alive. His absence throughout the night -occasioned no surprise, as he sometimes went to, and slept at Copperhouse, -two miles off. - -"On Monday morning a Gwinear miner, in quest of seaweed at low water, near -the rocky shore of Godrevy, saw Mr. Drury's body in a pool seventy or -eighty yards from the sea. - -"An inquest, under the county coroner, Mr. John Roscoria, was held on -Tuesday at Gwithian, when these circumstances were elicited, and a verdict -was returned of 'Found Drowned.' - -"From the facts, however, that Mr. Drury had never shown the least signs -of depression, that he started with the expressed intention of giving the -dog a dip, and that he was very near-sighted, the general inference is -that the unfortunate gentleman slipped on the rocks, was stunned, fell -into the water, and so casually and singularly fulfilled his strange dream -of a few days previously." - -A somewhat similar prognostication was had in the case of Captain Speer, -which may properly be put on record, for, as in the case already narrated, -it turned out to be a true warning of impending death: - -Captain Speer, an officer of the 3rd Surrey Militia, and a magistrate for -the county of Surrey,[128] lately met his death under remarkable -circumstances. The "Quebec Mercury" says:--"Captain W. D. Speer passed the -last winter among us. During part of it, he had some fine sport on the -north shore of the S. Lawrence, in company with Captain Knox and -Lieutenant Duthie, of the 10th Royal Artillery. This spring he made a tour -through the States and West Indies, with Major Leslie, R.A., returning -only for a few days, to set out again on what has, alas! proved to be his -last expedition.[129] Strange to say, he stated to several gentlemen, just -before setting out, that he had had a dream in which he distinctly saw a -coffin with the name of 'W. D. Speer, died June 17th, 1867,' on it; and in -writing to a lady three weeks previously,[130] he said in a joke that one -reason for addressing her was his own approaching end. The date of his -death is not known,[131] but it must have been on the day he named, or -very near it. It appears that he was going to his cabin on board the -Mississippi steamer, which was at anchor, and somewhere in the -neighbourhood of the Indian disturbances; when in the middle of the night -he was shot dead by a sentry, who omitted to challenge him." - -On this remarkable incident a Letter was written, from which the following -extract may fittingly be put on record here: - -"It seems the account of the dream was true, as Major Terry told Mr. -Kempson, that he had heard the letter read in which he [Captain Speer] -related the circumstance. Singular, was it not? I trust it may have taken -some little effect on his mind, but I fear he was not one to attach any -importance to such a warning. However, I do hope he did, for it is so -awful to think of anyone in pure health and spirits being ushered into -Eternity without one moment's preparation." From a Letter, dated August -10th, 1867, signed "Anne M. Kempson, Richmond Hill, Surrey, S.W." - -Another example of a warning given in a dream (but neglected) may now be -put on record: - -A few years ago a serious accident occurred in the village of Bulmer, in -Yorkshire, to a pic-nic party going to Castle Howard. The party made the -journey in an omnibus, and it seems that the wife of one of the men -hesitated to join the others, and tried to persuade her husband not to go, -because she asserted that she had dreamt a week before that they were in -an omnibus, and were upset on going through a village and greatly injured, -the fright awakening her. The man and his wife however did go; but on -reaching Bulmer, the woman became greatly excited. Not only, she remarked, -was the omnibus that which she had seen in her dream, but the village was -the one in which the accident she dreamt of appeared to happen. The words -were scarcely uttered when the omnibus was upset and a scene of great -confusion resulted. Those on the outside were thrown to the ground with -great violence; one man was rendered insensible by the omnibus falling -upon him, and several sustained rather serious injuries. The woman to whom -the accident was revealed beforehand, was herself badly hurt; but her -husband's was the worst case, he sustaining a dislocation of an ankle. -Medical aid was quickly procured, the sufferers were relieved, and -afterwards conveyed to their homes. Every incident of the accident seems -to have been pictured in the premonitory dream. - -A remarkable presentiment by means of a dream is related in the second -section of the first volume of the "Museum of Wonders," and is to the -following effect. Though not new, it is so exceptionally curious as to be -quite worthy of reproduction here:-- - -"A short time before the Princess Natgotsky, of Warsaw, travelled to -Paris, she had the following dream:--She dreamed that she found herself in -an unknown apartment, when a man who was likewise unknown to her, came to -her with a cup, and presented it to her to drink out of. She replied that -she was not thirsty, and thanked him for his offer. The unknown individual -repeated his request, and added that she ought not to refuse it any -longer, for it would be the last she would ever drink in her life. At this -she was greatly terrified and awoke. - -"In October, 1720, the Princess arrived at Paris, in good health and -spirits; and occupied a furnished hotel, where soon after her arrival she -was seized with a violent fever. She immediately sent for the King's -celebrated physician, the father of Helvetius. The physician came, and the -Princess showed striking marks of astonishment. She was asked the reason -of it, and gave for answer that the physician perfectly resembled the man -whom she had seen at Warsaw in a dream; but added she, 'I shall not die -this time, for this is not the same apartment which I saw on that occasion -in my dream.' - -"The Princess was soon after completely restored, and appeared to have -altogether forgotten her dream, when a new incident reminded her of it in -a most forcible manner. She was dissatisfied with her lodgings at the -hotel, and therefore requested that a dwelling might be prepared for her -in a convent at Paris, which was accordingly done. The Princess removed to -the convent, but scarcely had she entered the apartment destined for her, -than she began to exclaim aloud: 'It is all over with me; I shall not come -out of this room again alive, for it is the same that I saw at Warsaw in -my dream!' She died in reality not long afterward in the same room, in -the beginning of the year 1721, of an ulcer in the throat, occasioned by -the drawing of a tooth." - -"This dream," observes Jung Stilling, from whose work the account of it is -transcribed, "proceeded from a good angel, who wished to attract the -attention of the Princess to her approaching end." - -A dignitary of the Church of England, of rank and reputation, courteously -furnishes the Editor with the following remarkable Dream, which occurred -to himself,--alas! so completely fulfilled. Another account of the same, -almost identical in terms, was sent to him from another quarter. But he -prefers putting on record the former:[132]-- - -"My brother had left London for the country to preach and speak on behalf -of a certain Church Society, to which he was officially attached. He was -in his usual health, and I was therefore in no special anxiety about him. -One night my wife woke me, finding that I was sobbing in my sleep, and -asked me what it was. I said, 'I have been to a strange place in my dream. -It was a small village, and I went up to the door of an inn, if so it -might be called, though it really was a decent public-house. A stout woman -came to the door. I said to her, 'Is my brother here?' She said, 'No, -sir, he is gone.' 'Is his wife here?' I went on to enquire. 'No, sir, but -his widow is.' Then the distressing thought rushed upon me that my brother -was dead: and I awoke sobbing. - -"A few days after, I was summoned suddenly into the country. My brother -returning from Huntingdon had been attacked with _angina pectoris_; and -the pain was so intense that they left him at Caxton (a small village in -the diocese of Ely), to which place on the following day he summoned his -wife: and the next day, while they were seated together, she heard a sigh -and he was gone. - -"When I reached Caxton, _it was the very same village to which I had gone -in my dream. I went to the same house, was met and let in by the same -woman; and found my brother dead, and his_ widow _there._" - -One of the most striking and well-authenticated cases of a Warning given -in a Dream and acted upon, by which a grave temporal danger was actually -averted, remains to be put on record now. The case is related with great -simplicity by one who has carefully investigated the circumstances of both -the dreams; and nothing is required on the Editor's part, either to -enlarge on any detail of it or to point its moral:-- - -"Knowing as I do intimately," writes the correspondent in question, "the -Widow of an Irish clergyman who was warned by a dream of the railway -accident which took place a few years ago at Abergele, in North Wales, I -give you gladly the following particulars:-- - -"About a fortnight before the accident occurred, my friend, the lady in -question, had a dream in which her husband, who had been dead for three -years, appeared to her, as she thought. This occurred on the night which -followed the day on which she had settled and arranged with some friends -to make a journey by railway. She dreamed that her husband was still -living, and that she and he were walking on the sea-shore of North Wales, -close to which the railway to Holyhead passes, when they came to a -tunnel,[133] from which, all of a sudden, volumes of the blackest smoke -were pouring out, and which became so dense that the sky was quite -overcast. Alarmed at this, they hastily went forward together towards its -mouth, when it seemed to be all on fire; the crackling and roar of which -was quite unusual. In a moment or two the sounds of frantic cries of men -and women wildly shrieking seemed to come from out of the mouth of the -tunnel; and then, as if to add to the horror of what had already appeared, -another train, full of people and at express speed, came up and dashed -through smoke and flame into the tunnel itself. Upon this the lady awoke, -and so deep an impression had the dream made (for it unhinged her for some -days), that she resolved to postpone her journey, which she did. Had she -gone at the time appointed and arranged, she and her friends would have -travelled by the very train--the passengers of which were burnt by the -explosion of petroleum. - -"The most curious part of this interesting record has yet to be told. On -the same night upon which this lady had this dream-warning, her own -daughter, a child of nine years of age, who was staying with some -relations nearly sixty miles from home, had likewise a dream, in which she -thought she saw two trains meeting each other on one line of railway, in -one of which her mother was seated, and in the other one of her mother's -friends (who was to have travelled with her). The trains seemed to be -going at a great rate, and when the collision actually took place, the -child at once awoke. On the following morning she recounted her dream to -her relations: but at the time they took no notice of it, though it formed -the subject of a general conversation regarding dreams. It was only when -(as was afterwards discovered) her mother had possibly escaped the -frightful disaster of a railway accident, and probably a very painful -death, that the fact of her child having had the dream on the night of her -own warning and mentioned it, was specially remarked and noted down." - -A prognostication, or rather a personal Presentiment of impending death, -and that death the result of an accident, will fittingly be recorded -here:-- - -At the village of Bloxwich, in the diocese of Lichfield, a miner resided, -well known to the person who communicated the following occurrence to the -Editor of this volume:--"One morning in 1872, on his way to the pit's -mouth, the miner had a strong presentiment that he should be killed at his -work. He returned home, communicated his impressions to his wife (who -expostulated with him for being so fanciful and superstitious), and then -insisted on seeing all his children. They were assembled. He took down his -Prayer Book and Bible, read a chapter from the latter, and afterwards said -some of his accustomed prayers. Then affectionately greeting wife and -children, he went to his work, with the same strange but vivid -presentiment of approaching death upon him; as his wife so clearly -testifies. He had not been at work many minutes when he was suddenly -crushed to death by the fall of a rock." - -These facts are duly authenticated by persons who obtained the account -from the man's widow on the day of his burial, and have supplied them -directly to the Editor. - -The following cases, equally remarkable, are taken from the "Standard" -newspaper:-- - -"Sir,--I beg to acquaint you of a very singular event which occurred here -yesterday. On Saturday night a villager named Andrew Scott dreamed of -being along the coast on S. Cyrus' Sands, and finding a man among the -rocks under Whitson Houses. On Sabbath morning after breakfast he cleaned -himself, and told his wife he would go and see if there was anything in -his dream, taking another man with him to whom he made known his errand; -and on arriving at the spot where he expected to find the man, sure enough -there was the drowned man, washing amongst the rocks, just as seen in his -dream. He was taken ashore, reported to the S. Cyrus' authorities, and -to-day he is to be interred. He is supposed to be one of the men belonging -to the 'Providence,' wrecked on Dec. 19. I have the honour to be, sir, -your most obedient servant, - - "Daniel Hamilton. - -"Johnshaven, Kincardineshire, Jan. 20." - -"At an inquest held on Monday afternoon at James Bridge, near -Wolverhampton, on the body of a collier named Samuel Tinley, who had been -killed in a pit there by a fall of rock strata, it transpired that during -the previous night he awoke, saying he had a ton of rock on his head, -though he had no headache. He was convinced it boded ill, and was -reluctant to go to work. Upon being urged to go by his wife, he went to -his child and saying, 'Let me have my last kiss,' went to the pit and was -killed. It was further shown that a cousin of his, who is a close friend, -was returning home from working a night-shift, when he said he saw the -deceased standing before him in the road. Instead of going home to bed he -went to the deceased's house, to which place the news of the death had -just been brought, but altogether unknown to the cousin.[134] At the -inquest a yet more remarkable case, that had come before the same coroner -in the same locality, was mentioned." - -So much as to examples and records of extraordinary Dreams, Warnings by -Visions, and Presentiments. The subject of Omens may now be briefly -touched upon. An "omen" has been defined to be "a token or sign of good or -ill;" "a boding or foreboding;" "a prognostic." Some of the following are -of such a character as that they are very suitably considered both in -connection with events already described and with those yet to be -narrated. - -It has been forcibly and appropriately remarked, though not perhaps in any -marked or specific Christian spirit, that Omens constitute the poetry of -history. They cause the series of events which they are supposed to -declare to flow into epical unity, and the political catastrophe seems to -be produced, not by prudence or by folly, but by the superintending -destiny. - -The case of the Tichborne Prophecy, in connection with the well-known -ancient Dole of that family, is so curious (having been in part recently -fulfilled), that it may not only be set forth in detail, but may -reasonably find a place at this particular part of this book. For the -following version the Editor is indebted to a near connection of the -family:-- - -"The Tichbornes date their possession of the present patrimony, the manor -of Tichborne, so far back as two hundred years before the Conquest. When -the Lady Mabella,[135] worn out with age and infirmity, was lying on her -deathbed, she besought her loving husband, Sir Roger Tichborne, as her -last request, that he would grant her the means of leaving behind her a -charitable bequest, in a Dole of Bread to be distributed to all who should -apply for it annually on the Feast of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin -Mary. Sir Roger, her husband, readily acceded to her request by promising -the produce of as much land as she could go over in the vicinity of the -Park while a certain brand or billet was burning, supposing that, from her -long infirmity (for she had been bedridden some years), she would be able -to go round a small portion only of his property. The venerable dame, -however, ordered her attendants to convey her to the corner of the Park, -where, being deposited on the ground, she seemed to regain a renovation of -strength; and to the surprise of her anxious and admiring lord, who began -to wonder where this pilgrimage might end, she crawled round several rich -and goodly acres. - -"The field which was the scene of Lady Mabella's extraordinary feat -retains the name of 'The Crawls' to this day. It is situated near the -entrance to the Park, and contains an area of twenty-three acres. - -"Her task being completed, she was re-conveyed to her chamber; and, -summoning her family to her bedside, predicted its prosperity while the -annual Dole existed, and left her solemn Curse, uttered in God's most Holy -Name, on any of her descendants who should be so mean or covetous as to -discontinue or divert it, _prophesying that when such should happen the -old house should fall, and the family name would become extinct from the -failure of heirs male; and that this would be foretold by a generation of -seven sons being followed immediately after by a generation of seven -daughters and no son_. - -"The custom thus founded in the reign of Henry II. continued to be -observed for centuries; and our Lady's Day, the 25th of March, became the -annual festive-day of the family. It was not until the middle of the last -century that the custom was abused; when, under the pretence of attending -the Tichborne Dole, vagabonds, gipsies, and idlers of every description, -assembled from all quarters, pilfering throughout the neighbourhood; and, -at last, the gentry and magistrates complaining, it was discontinued in -1796. Singularly enough, the baronet of that day, Sir Henry -Tichborne,[136] had seven sons, and, when he was succeeded by the eldest, -there appeared a generation of seven daughters, while the apparent -fulfilment of the prophecy was completed by the change of the name of the -late baronet to Doughty, under the will of his kinswoman. (This allusion -is to Sir Edward Doughty, ninth baronet, who inherited the 'Doughty' -estate, then Mr. Edward Tichborne.)" - -Here is the record of a weird and obvious Omen:-- - -"The Duke of Somerset, the great sacrilegious nobleman of Henry VIII.'s -reign, who worked such mischief and perpetrated such robberies on God's -poor, is said to have been more than once warned of his coming death upon -the scaffold, by the appearance of a Bloody Hand stretched out from the -panelled wall of the corridor of his mansion; and it is also reported that -the Hand was visible to his duchess as well as to himself." - -And here is the narrative of a remarkable Dream, as well as of a singular -coincidence:-- - -"Sir Thomas White, Alderman of London, was a very rich man, charitable and -public-spirited. He dreamed that he had founded a college at a place where -three elms grew out of one root. He went to Oxford probably with that -intention; and discovering some such tree near Gloucester Hall, he began -to repair the building of that community, with a design to endow it. But -walking afterwards by the convent where the Bernardines formerly lived, he -plainly saw an elm tree with three large bodies rising out of the same -root; he forthwith purchased the ground, and endowed his college there, as -it is at this day; except the additions which Archbishop Laud made near -the outside of the building, in the garden belonging to the President. The -tree is still to be seen. He made this discovery about the year 1557." - -The numerous tokens of the death of Henry IV. of France, who reigned from -1589 until 1610, are finely tragical. Mary of Medicis, in her well-known -dream, saw the brilliant gems of her crown change into pearls--the -recognized symbols of tears and mourning. An owl is said to have hooted -until sunrise at the window of the chamber to which the King and Queen -retired at S. Denis on the night preceding her coronation. During the -ceremony, it was observed with dread, that the dark portals leading to the -royal sepulchre beneath the choir, were gaping and expanded. The flame of -the sacred taper held by Her Majesty was suddenly extinguished, and it is -said that her crown twice nearly fell to the ground. - -An anecdote, which was current during the reign of King Charles I., and -has the support both of Archbishop Laud and Lord Clarendon, is said to -have thrown a sad gloom over the spirits of the royal friends, already -saddened by the fearful pestilence which inaugurated his reign. At the -coronation it was found that there was not in the whole of London, nor -indeed in the whole of England, sufficient purple velvet with which to -make the customary royal robes and the corresponding furniture of the -chair of state and throne. What was to be done? Rigid custom, coming down -no doubt for long generations, possibly from the time of S. Edward, -required that old traditions should be scrupulously observed and carefully -followed. What was needed could not in all probability be had nearer than -Genoa. To obtain it would have caused a delay of several months: and it -was agreed that the solemn anointing and coronation could not be properly -postponed. So it was resolved to robe His Majesty in _white_ velvet, from -which he was known afterwards as "the White King." But this was the colour -in which victims were arrayed. So many persons maintained that the Council -which had sanctioned such an innovation had unwittingly, perhaps, but -efficiently established an agency of evil; and many more after the King's -martyrdom recalled the ominous change. - -Another Warning, or supposed Warning, of approaching evil vouchsafed to -the King was equally striking and peculiar. It happened a short time -before the disastrous Battle of Newbury, and is thus recorded:-- - -The King being at Oxford, went one day to see the Public Library, where he -was shown amongst other books, a Virgil, nobly printed and exquisitely -bound. The Lord Falkland, to divert the King, would have his Majesty make -a trial of his fortune by the _Sortes Virgilianæ_, which everybody knows -was not an unusual kind of augury some ages past. Whereupon the King -opening the book, the period which happened to come up was part of Dido's -imprecation against Æneas, which Mr. Dryden translated thus:-- - - "Yet let a race untamed, and haughty foes, - His peaceful entrance with dire arms oppose; - Oppress'd with numbers in th' unequal field, - His men discouraged and himself expelled, - Let him for succour sue from place to place, - Torn from his subjects and his son's embrace; - First let him see his friends in battle slain, - And then untimely fate lament in vain; - And when at length the cruel war shall cease, - On hard conditions may he buy his peace; - Nor let him then enjoy supreme command, - But fall untimely by some hostile hand, - And lie unburied on the barren sand." - "Æneid," Book iv. 88. - -It is said that King Charles seemed concerned at this accident, and that -Lord Falkland observing it, would likewise try his fortune in the same -manner, hoping he might fall upon some passage that could have no relation -to his case, and thereby divert the King's thoughts from any impression -the other might have upon him. But the place that Falkland stumbled upon -was yet more suited to his destiny than the other had been to the King's; -being the following expressions of Evander upon the untimely death of his -son Pallas, as they are translated by the same hand:-- - - "O Pallas! thou hast fail'd thy plighted word, - To fight with caution, not to tempt the sword; - I warn'd thee but in vain; for well I knew - What perils youthful ardour would pursue, - That boiling blood would carry thee too far, - Young as thou wert in dangers--raw in war! - O cursed essay in arms--disastrous doom, - Prelude of bloody fields and fights to come." - "Æneid," Book xi. 230. - -Again, as regards the King's bust, the following record was current and -commonly discussed:-- - -"Vandyke, having painted the King's head, in three different attitudes, a -profile, a three-quarters, and a full face, the picture was sent to Rome -for Bernini, the celebrated sculptor, to make a bust from it. This artist, -being exceedingly dilatory over his work, and having had complaints made -to him on the subject, said that there was something so unusually sad and -melancholy in the royal features, that if any stress might be laid on -physiognomy, he was sure that the person whom the picture represented was -destined for a violent end. When the bust arrived in England, the King -being anxious to see it, it was taken immediately to Chelsea and placed on -a table in the garden, whither the King, attended by many, went to -inspect it. While so doing a hawk, with a wounded and bleeding partridge -in its talons, flew over the King's head, and some of the blood fell upon -the marble neck of the bust, where it remained without being wiped off. -The omen is said to have been marked by many." - -On the day of the King's burial, when the coffin was borne to S. George's -Chapel, Windsor, by tried and trusted subjects and servants, it was -carried through a severe snow-storm, and the purple pall was covered with -the whitest snow, thus adding a fresh reason for the title by which His -Majesty had been known. - -There were also some remarkable Warnings in the life of the great -Archbishop Laud, some of which were noted down in his "Diary." For -example, he was elected Head of S. John's College, Oxford, on the Feast of -the Beheading of S. John the Baptist; and of course, when he as Head of -that college perished by a similar death, this more than remarkable -coincidence was noticed and remembered. Another likewise is certainly -curious. Not long before his martyrdom, on entering his study one day, he -is said to have found his own portrait, by Vandyke, at full length on the -floor, the cord which fastened it to the wall having snapped. The sight of -this warning, as it was regarded, is said not only to have deeply -impressed that great man, whose obvious belief in the Supernatural was -considerable; but also to have brought back to his memory the fact of a -great disaster which occurred to one of his barges, on the very day of his -translation to the See of Canterbury, which boat sank with his coaches and -horses into the Thames. - -There was an Omen attached to the ancient Ferrers family, of Chartley Park -in Staffordshire. The large possessions of this family were forfeited by -the attainder of Earl Ferrers, after his defeat at Burton Bridge, where he -led the rebellious barons against Henry III. The Chartley estate having -been settled in dower was alone reserved and handed down. In the Park is -said to be preserved an indigenous Staffordshire cow, small in stature, of -sand-white colour, with black ears, muzzle, and tips at the hoofs. In the -year of the Battle of Burton Bridge a black calf was born; the downfall of -the house of Ferrers happening at the same period gave rise to the -tradition, which to this day is said to be commonly current through -observation of past events, viz., that the birth of a parti-coloured calf -from the wild herd in Chartley Park is a sure omen of death within the -same year to a member of Lord Ferrers' family. By a noticeable coincidence -a calf of this description has been born whenever a death has happened of -late years in this noble family.[137] The decease of the late Earl and -Countess, of his son Lord Tamworth, and of his daughter, Mrs. William -Joliffe, as well as the deaths of the son and heir of the present -nobleman, and his daughter, Lady Frances Shirley, has each been preceded -by the birth of an ominous calf. In the spring of the year 1835 an animal -perfectly black was calved by one of this weird tribe; and it was soon -followed by the death of the amiable Countess. - -The Omen connected with the ancient gentle family of Oxenham, co. -Devon,[138] may now be suitably referred to. The following, describing it, -is copied from a rare and ancient pamphlet:[139]--"In the parish called -Sale Monachorum, in the county of Devon, there lives one James Oxenham, a -gentleman of good worth and quality, who had many children, one whereof -was called John Oxenham, a young man in the vigour, beauty, and flower of -his age, about 22, who was of stature comely and tall, being in height of -body sixe foote and a half, a very proper person.... This young gentleman -fell sicke, who being visited by many of the neighbours during the time of -his sickness, departed this transitory life on the 5th day of September -1635, to whom, two days before he yielded up his soul to God, there -appeared the likeness of a Bird with a white breast hovering over him." -The pamphlet in question states that the White Bird also appeared -previously to the deaths of Thomasine, Rebecca and Thomasine the -younger,[140] facts formally testified to, on the oaths of divers -eyewitnesses before the Lord Bishop of Exeter (Dr. Joseph Hall). - -In Howell's "Familiar Letters," a communication dated "July 3, 1632," -states that the writer saw, at a stonecutter's shop in London, a marble -monument commemorating several examples of this curious omen; and gives -the following as the inscriptions:-- - -"Here lies John Oxenham, a goodly young man, in whose chamber as he was -struggling with the pangs of death, a Bird with a White Breast was seen -fluttering about his bed, and so vanished. - -"Here lies also Mary Oxenham, the sister of the said John, who died the -next day, and the same apparition was seen in the room. - -"Here lies hard by, James Oxenham, the son of the said John, who dyed a -child in his cradle a little after, and such a Bird was seen fluttering -about his head a little before he expir'd, which vanish'd afterwards." - -At the bottom of the stone there is:-- - -"Here lies Elizabeth Oxenham, the mother of the said John, who died -sixteen years since, when such a bird with a white breast was seen about -her bed before her death."[141] - -Then come the following remarks:-- - -"To all these there be divers witnesses both squires and ladies, whose -names are engraven upon the stone. This stone is to be sent to a town hard -by Exeter where this happen'd. Were you here, I could raise a choice -discours with you hereupon. So hoping to see you the next tirm, I rest, -etc." - -From an old MS. letter of the eighteenth century, written on the fly-leaf -of a copy of Howell's book already referred to, it seems that the -appearance of the omen was regarded as a fact at that period. The Letter -dated "December 29th, 1741," contains the following statement:-- - -"I have received an answer from the country in relation to the strange -Bird which appeared to Mr. Oxenham just before his death, and the account -which Dr. Bertie gave to Lord Abingdon of it, is certainly true. It first -was seen outside the window, and soon afterwards by Mrs. Oxenham in the -room, which she mentioned to Mr. Oxenham, and asked him if he knew what -bird it was. 'Yes,' says he, 'it has been on my face and head, and is -recorded in history as always appearing to our family before their deaths; -but I shall cheat the Bird.' Nothing more was said about it, nor was the -Bird taken notice of from that time: but he died soon afterwards. However -odd this affair may seem, it is certainly true; for the account was given -of it by Mrs. Oxenham herself: but she never mentions it to anyone unless -particularly asked about it; and as it was seen by several persons at the -same time, I cannot attribute it to imagination, but must leave it as a -phenomenon unaccounted for." - -My friend, the Rev. H. N. Oxenham, of this family, writes to me A.D. -October, 1874, as follows: - -"The tradition about the White Bird has certainly existed for so long a -time--I believe for centuries--in our family, that I have every reason to -believe there are well-authenticated accounts of its appearance before the -death of the head of the family; and that certainly a white Bird was seen -at the window a few days before my late uncle's death (who was the head of -the family) last Christmas" [_i.e._ in 1873]. - -Here a singular account of the possession of a charm, or amulet, and of a -Curse connected with it, may be fittingly set forth:-- - -"The family of Graham of Inchbrachie, county Perth, are said to possess a -small blue, uncut stone, set in an antique ring, of which the following -story is told. Some two centuries ago, as the Head of the Family was -passing by a hill near or at Crieff, he discovered a large crowd, presided -over by one of the Campbells of ----, preparing to execute a witch. On -approaching the crowd, he found that the unhappy victim (who had for some -years lived in a rocky cave, still known by her name), was none other than -his old nurse, Katherine Nivens. Charged with witchcraft, she had been -condemned and was about to be executed. Graham, addressing the mob, urged -them to prevent Campbell from carrying out his purpose. In acknowledgment -of his generous help on her behalf, the poor creature threw him a small -blue stone like a bead, which she had kept in her mouth, and desired him -to keep it for her sake; adding that as long as it was preserved in his -family good fortune should ever attend them; while to the Campbells of ----- (whom she solemnly cursed), she predicted that there never should be -born an heir male, and cited him to appear before God's judgment-bar, -where justice should be done.[142] The strange feature in the story is -that (as a correspondent avers) _both promise and prediction have turned -out to be true_. The stone is said to be an uncut sapphire. Other Scotch -families possess similar amulets or charms: amongst these the -Macdonald-Lockharts of Lee in the county of Lanark. - -The sound of the Beating of a Drum is said to betoken death to a noble -Scotch family--one which has been a staunch, good old loyalist clan for -centuries, and suffered sorely for having been "leal and true" to their -Royal House and their own consciences. Some years ago the then head of it -was paying a visit in England, when, one day, sitting outside in the -garden with the lady of the house, his lordship exclaimed suddenly, -"Listen! here comes a band of music." - -"Music!" she replied, "oh, impossible." - -"Oh, don't you hear it? it is coming this way." - -"No, I hear nothing." - -"Listen!" he retorted; "don't you hear the Drum?" - -She assured him that there was nothing, that it was a fancy, and that no -band of music could come near enough to the house to be heard, on account -of the unusual extent of the grounds and park. - -On this the nobleman turned pale, and becoming much agitated, remarked -that he felt sure it must be the sound of the family "Drum,"--an omen that -always preceded death, and feared that something had happened to one of -his relations. - -The next post brought him the sad and melancholy news of his wife's -unlooked-for death, through giving birth prematurely to a child. - -The origin of this omen, as far as the Editor can discover, appears to be -unknown. - -In another family of rank a female figure, dressed in brown clothes, -appears as a warning of death. To the members of an old knightly family in -the West of England there always comes, before the death of its chief, the -sound of a heavy carriage with many horses driven round the paved -courtyard of the Elizabethan mansion. - -It is equally notorious that in a certain noble English family, the form -of a spectral head appears as a sign of death to any member of it, and -invariably so, when the chief of it dies,--a fact which the Editor has -been assured of in writing (A.D. 1872) from a member of a junior branch of -the same. - -To another family, living in the East of England (of the rank of gentle -people), appears an Omen, equally, if not more disagreeable. The -appearance of a spectral Black Dog is also a portent of death. About -twenty years ago, A.D. 1853, the then head of the family married, and -though he himself (by no means superstitious) could not reject the -tradition of the unpleasant omen, having heard so much about it on its -previous appearance, he said nothing to his wife. Some years afterwards, -in 1861, their eldest child was taken ill. The illness, however, (as the -physician asserted,) was slight, and not at all likely to prove dangerous; -so little, in truth, was this anticipated that there were several persons -staying in the house at the time. Just before dinner was announced one -evening, the wife of the head of the family asked to be excused for a -moment or two, while she looked into the night nursery to see how the sick -child was. She went, but returned almost immediately, saying, "Darling ----- is fast asleep; but there's a large black dog lying under the bed; go -and drive it out." The father, at once calling to mind the omen, was -sorely terrified. He went at once to the sick room. Neither under nor near -the bed, nor (as was afterwards discovered) on the premises, was there, or -had there been, any dog, but the poor child's sleep was found to be the -sleep of death. - -To revert to Omens in general. There is a widely-spread and singular -prejudice, (which with many is deeply rooted,) that if thirteen people sit -down to dinner one of them, at least, shall die within a year.[143] It -seems to have originated from the fact of Judas having been the thirteenth -at the Paschal Feast, when our Lord instituted the Holy Sacrament. - -Again, Friday has from time immemorial been considered an unlucky -day;[144] because the Crucifixion of our Blessed Saviour took place on -that day--a day of fear and trembling, of darkness and of earthquakes--a -day of awe, when even some of the Pagan oracles were silent, and -indications of the decay and weakening of their powers were by their -impotence made manifest. Plutarch in his book on the "Cessation of -Oracles," makes mention of the voice which, near Paxos, the pilot of a -vessel heard in the spring of the nineteenth year of the Emperor Tiberius, -crying out, "Great Pan is dead." Now we know that in the spring of that -year, and possibly on the afternoon of that very day, our Divine Lord -overcame death by dying, conquered Satan, and opened the gates of -everlasting life to mankind. Can we be surprised that after that victory -on the first Good Friday, the power of the Evil One was largely and surely -curbed? - -Second Sight, indications of the existence of which have already been -given, appears to be a power or property of seeing beforehand events which -are still in the future, and such sight claimed by several[145] is said -to belong to many persons in Scotland. In a "Description of the Western -Isles," a popular writer of the last century somewhat amplified the -definition. He maintained as follows: "The Second Sight is a singular -faculty of seeing an otherwise invisible object, without any previous -means used by the person that sees it for that end; the vision makes such -a lively impression upon the seers, that they neither see nor think of -anything else, except the vision, as long as it continues; and then they -appear pensive or jovial, according to the object which was represented to -them." He further points out generally that when persons gifted with -Second Sight "actually behold something unusual, the eyelids of the person -are erected, and the eyes continue staring until the object vanish." In -the case of a certain person in the Island of Skye, "when he sees a -vision, the inner part of his eyelids turns so far upwards, that after the -object disappears, he must draw them down again with his fingers." The -same writer maintains that the property of Second Sight does not -necessarily descend in a family, as some persons hold and assert. "I know -several parents," he writes, "who are endowed with it, but their children -not, and _vice versa_; neither is it acquired by any previous compact. -And, after a strict inquiry, I could never learn from any among them that -this faculty was communicable any way whatsoever." - -Several volumes have been written on the subject, and examples almost -without number provided. - -In John Aubrey's "Miscellanies"[146] is recorded a remarkable escape from -death of Dr. William Harvey, the celebrated discoverer of the circulation -of the blood through Second Sight:--"When Dr. Harvey, one of the -Physicians' College in London, being a young man (in 1695), went to travel -towards Padua, he went to Dover with several others, and showed his pass -as the rest to the Governor there. The Governor told him that he must not -go, but he must keep him prisoner. The Doctor desired to know 'for what -reason? how he had transgressed?' 'Well, it was his will to have it so.' -The pacquet boat hoisted sail in the evening, which was very clear, and -the doctor's companions in it. There ensued a terrible storm, and the -pacquet boat and all the passengers were drowned. The next day the sad -news was brought to Dover. The Doctor was unknown to the Governor both by -name and face; but the night before the Governor had a perfect vision of -Dr. Harvey in a dream, who came to pass over to Calais, and that he had a -warning to stop him. This the Governor told the Doctor the next day. The -Doctor was a pious, good man, and has several times directed this story to -some of my acquaintance." - -The following, from a rare and curious volume of the last century,[147] -containing nearly two hundred cases, authenticated mainly by ministers of -the Scotch Establishment, is a good example:-- - -"Alexander Macdonald, of Kingsborough (when living in the possession of -Aird, in the remote end of Trotternish), dreamed that he saw a reverend -old man come to him, desiring him to get out of bed, and get his servants -together, and make haste to save his fields of corn, as his whole cattle, -and his tenants' cattle also, had got out of the fold, and were in the -middle of a large field behind the house. He awaked and told his wife, -with whom he consulted whether he would rise or not; and she telling him -it was but a dream, and not worth noticing, advised him to lie still, -which he obeyed; but no sooner fell asleep, than the former old man -appeared to him, and seemed angry, by telling Mr. Macdonald (then of -Aird), he the old man was very idle, in acquainting him of the loss he -would or had by this time sustained by his cattle, and seemed not to heed -what he said, and so went off. Mr. Macdonald awaking the second time, told -his wife, but she would not allow him, and ridiculed him for noticing the -folly of a confused dream; so that, after attempting to get up, he was, at -his wife's persuasion, prevailed upon to lie down again; and falling -asleep, it being now near break of day, the old gentleman appeared to him -a third time, with a frowning countenance, and told him he might now lie -still, for that the cattle were now surfeited of his corn, and were lying -in it; and that it was for his welfare that he came to acquaint him so -often, as he was his grand-uncle by his father; and so went off. He -awaking in about an hour thereafter, arose and went out, and actually -found his own and his tenants' cattle lying in his corn, after being tired -of eating thereof; which corn, when comprised, the loss amounted to eight -bolls of meal." - -Two quite recent cases of Second Sight are here given, and are each -somewhat remarkable. Both have been furnished to the Editor by those who -knew the cases, and the accuracy of each has been vouched for by trusty -and courteous correspondents. - -The first has reference to the murder of a policeman at Cardiff:--"An -inquest was formally opened on the body of William Perry, a constable of -the Cardiff police force, who was fatally stabbed on Tuesday by a butcher, -named Jones. The medical evidence went to show that the murderer was in a -very excited state at the time, but was neither insane nor suffering from -_delirium tremens_. The further hearing was adjourned. The 'Western Mail' -says:--The deceased man Perry was a well-known and very efficient officer. -He joined the borough police force on the 5th of July, 1865, and from that -time had always conducted himself in a praiseworthy manner, having -attained to the position of a first-class constable some time ago. -Previous to 1865 he was employed in the Merthyr division of the county -police. He was 36 years of age. The superstitious will probably feel -interested in the following story, which our reporter heard last night -from the lips of the widow herself. Strange as it may seem, it is no less -strange than true; and mournful as the circumstance is in itself, those -who believe in the efficacy of dreams as prognosticators of future events, -will perhaps derive some gratification from it. On Sunday night Mrs. Perry -(who resides at Melrose-cottage, Heath-street, Canton), had a dream, which -but too faithfully predicted the sad tragedy of yesterday. In the midst of -her sleep she saw, to use her own words, a large crowd following her -husband down the Cowbridge-road, in the direction of the Westgate hotel, -where the murder was committed. She saw, in the horror of her dream, a -knife plunged into the breast of her husband, and drawn out again, -blood-stained and grimy, by some cruel but unknown hand. She saw, too, -the murdered form of her husband borne away, and little thought, when -brooding over her awful dream, that it was a 'dark presage,' and the -precursor of what was soon to be a terrible reality. The dream occasioned -her great uneasiness, but she mentioned it to no one until the dreadful -tidings of her husband's death reached her yesterday morning, when the -circumstance forced itself vividly upon her recollection." (A.D. 1873.) - -The second example is equally remarkable:--"A singular case of Second -Sight is reported from the neighbourhood of Marlborough. A labourer named -Duck, employed by Mr. Dixon, of Mildenhall Warren Farm, was in charge of a -horse and water-cart on the farm, when the animal took fright and knocked -him down. The wheel went over his chest, and the injuries he received were -such that his death occurred shortly afterwards. However, the singular -part of the story remains to be told. Duck resided at Ramsbury, and -immediately after the accident Mr. Dixon despatched a woman to acquaint -his wife of the fact. On arriving at her home the messenger found her out -gathering wood; but shortly afterwards a girl who was her companion -arrived, and, without being told of what had occurred, volunteered the -statement that 'Ria (Mrs. Duck) was unable to do much that morning, that -she had been very much frightened, having seen her husband in the wood. -Shortly afterwards Mrs. Duck returned, without any wood, and, being -informed by a neighbour that a woman from Mildenhall Woodlands wished to -see her, ejaculated immediately, 'My David's dead, then.' Inquiry has -since been made by Mr. Dixon of the woman, and she positively asserts that -she saw her husband in the wood, and said, 'Holloa, David, what wind blows -you here, then?' and that he made no reply. Mr. Dixon inquired what time -this occurred, and she replied about 10 o'clock, the hour at which the -fatal accident took place." (A.D. 1874.) - -Before this chapter is closed, the following account, which created the -deepest impression in the town and neighbourhood of Devizes, is embodied -in terms which plainly enough set forth its point and purpose. It is an -awful example of God's summary judgment, recorded by the local authorities -both as a memorial of the Supernatural and as a warning to all:-- - -"The Mayor and Corporation of Devizes avail themselves of the stability of -this building [the Market Cross,] to transmit to future times the record -of an awful event which occurred in the Market Place in the year 1753, -hoping that such record may serve as a salutary warning against the danger -of impiously invoking Divine vengeance, or of calling on the Holy Name of -God to conceal the devices of falsehood and fraud: - -"On Thursday, the 25th of January, 1753, Ruth Pierce, of Potterne in this -county, agreed with three other women to buy a sack of wheat in the -market, each paying her due proportion towards the same. One of these -women, in collecting the several quotas of money, discovered a deficiency, -and demanded of Ruth Pierce the sum which was wanting to make good the -amount. Ruth Pierce protested that she had paid her share, and said: _She -wished she might drop down dead if she had not._ She rashly repeated the -awful wish; when, to the consternation and terror of the surrounding -multitude, she instantly fell down and expired, having the money concealed -in her hand." - -The narrative of this solemn event was by order of the authorities -recorded on a tablet and hung up in the Market house (a row of sheds near -the Cross). When the building was taken down, Mr. Halcombe, who kept the -Bear Inn, in order that the remembrance might not be lost, caused it to be -inscribed on the pediment of a couple of pillars which stood opposite his -inn, supporting the sign of the Bear. - -The sign was removed in 1801, and a few years after Lord Sidmouth having -presented to the town the New Cross, which forms the central ornament of -the Market Place, the Mayor and Corporation "availed themselves," to use -their own language, "of the stability of the new structure to transmit to -future time a record of the awful death of Ruth Pierce in hope that it -might serve as a salutary warning against the practice of invoking the -Sacred Name to conceal the devices of falsehood and fraud." - -And now to conclude this portion of the subject. Each example already -recorded has, no doubt, told its own story sufficiently well. Some cases -may appear to certain minds to be as trivial as they certainly are, to -others, marvellous and inexplicable; other examples, again, cannot fail to -leave a deep impression on the reader, as well from the remarkable -character of the presentiments and dreams themselves, as from the -reasonable testimony by which their truth is supported by persons of -repute and credibility. The Editor has intentionally avoided the making of -comments, either prolix or the reverse, preferring to present to the -reader each recorded narrative, as received or obtained by himself, -without dissertations, theories, or explanations. - - -END OF VOL. I. - - CHISWICK PRESS:--PRINTED BY WHITTINGHAM AND WILKINS, - TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE. - - - - -GENERAL INDEX. - - - A Discerner of spirits, i. 81 - - Abimelech's dream, i. 210 - - Aerolites, i. 24 - - After-vision of a suicide, ii. 75 - - Alexander Macdonald's dream, i. 285 - - Amulet of the Grahams, i. 277 - - ---- of the Macdonald Lockharts, i. 278 - - Ann Thorne bewitched, i. 194 - - Apparition at Ballarat, ii. 61 - - ---- at time of death, ii. 59 - - ---- in the Jewel House, ii. 105 - - ---- near Cardiff, ii. 114 - - ---- of a college friend, ii. 71 - - ---- of a crow, ii. 131 - - ---- of a dying father, ii. 58 - - ---- of a dying lady to her children, ii. 64 - - ---- of a father to his son, ii. 58 - - ---- of a friend, ii. 60 - - ---- of a sister, ii. 59 - - ---- of a son to his mother and another, ii. 73 - - ---- of an officer, ii. 10 - - ---- of Dr. Ferrar's daughter, ii. 25 - - ---- of Philip Weld, ii. 51 - - ---- of Rev. W. Naylor, ii. 7 - - ---- of S. Stanislaus, ii. 51 - - ---- seven years after death, ii. 71 - - ---- to a gentleman, ii. 119 - - ---- to a lady and her child, ii. 113 - - ---- to a lady and her child, ii. 117 - - ---- to a sentry, and his death thereupon, ii. 108 - - ---- to Lord Brougham, ii. 68 - - ---- to Lord Chedworth, ii. 35 - - ---- to Mr. Andrews, ii. 41 - - Apparitions at Oxford, ii. 209 - - Arrowsmith, Trial of Rev. E., i. 91 - - Arrowsmith's Hand preserved, i. 95 - - Authentication of Lamb's cure, i. 96 - - - Barony of Chedworth, ii. 34 - - Belief in God universal, i. 5 - - Benediction, The principle of, i. 90 - - Beresford apparition, The, ii. 11 - - Bird, The Spectral, ii. 128 - - Bisham Abbey, Ghost at, ii. 91 - - Bishop Joseph Hall on temporal punishment, ii. 89 - - Bishop Ken's hymn, ii. 82 - - Blessing and cursing, Power of, i. 90. - - Bosworth's testimony, Mr. T., ii. 146 - - Bridget Bishop accused of witchcraft, i. 198 - - Bull of Pope Innocent VIII. against witchcraft, i. 162 - - - Captain William Dyke, ii. 22 - - Cardan, Jerome, i. 282 - - Case of Annie Milner, i. 169 - - ---- of Martha Brossier, i. 165 - - Catharine Campbell accused of witchcraft, i. 197 - - Catholic claim to exclusive use of exorcism, i. 163 - - Causation, The law of, i. 3 - - Chamber, John, on "Judiciall Astrologie," i. 200 - - Charles I., Omens concerning, i. 267, 271 - - Charles Ireland bewitched, i. 186 - - Chevalier's testimony concerning Spiritualism, Mr., ii. 180 - - "Christ is coming" quoted, ii. 136. - - Christian Shaw bewitched, i. 197 - - Christian writers on the Supernatural, i. 31 - - Christianity, Morse on the decline of, ii. 137 - - Citation, Remarkable case of, i. 90 - - Club, The Hell-Fire, ii. 207 - - Colgarth, The Philipsons of, i. 90 - - Collins's Sermon, Rev. H., i. 135 - - Cometism, The Trinity of, i. 19 - - Constantine victorious, i. 38 - - Creslow, Haunted chamber at, ii. 92 - - Criticism upon Mr. Congreve, i. 20 - - Crookes, Mr. W., on Spiritualism, ii. 159, 162, 164 - - Cross of Constantine, The, i. 35 - - ---- fire seen in France in 1826, A, i. 16 - - Cure, Miraculous, i. 95 - - ---- Miraculous, by the Blessed Sacrament, i. 121, 125 - - - Daimonomagia, i. 174 - - Dale-Owen, Mr., quoted, ii. 183, 185 - - Death of Captain Speer, i. 253 - - ---- of Rev. S. B. Drury, i. 251 - - De Lisle's, Miss, death, Supernatural music at, i. 135 - - De Lisle, Mr., on the Weld ghost story, ii. 54 - - ---- Mr. Edwin, on Strauss, i. 2 - - Demons, Belief in, ii. 212 - - Denial of the Supernatural, i. 1 - - Details of the Supernatural, i. 8 - - Discovery of a lost will, i. 204 - - Disease of witchcraft, i. 174 - - Double apparition at time of death, ii. 55 - - ---- in the West Indies, ii. 58 - - Dr. Lamb, the sorcerer, i. 202 - - Dr. Newman on ecclesiastical miracles, i. 36 - - Dr. Samuel Johnson on the Lyttelton story, ii. 45 - - Dr. William Harvey's escape from death, i. 284 - - Dream of a child, Warning given in the, i. 260 - - ---- of a dignitary realized, i. 257 - - ---- of a housekeeper realized, i. 240 - - ---- of a widow lady, i. 258 - - ---- of Adam Rogers, i. 219 - - ---- of Andrew Scott, i. 261 - - ---- of Mr. Matthew Talbot, i. 225 - - ---- of Mr. Williams of Scorrier, i. 226 - - ---- of the Princess Natgotsky, i. 255 - - ---- of the Swaffham tinker, i. 215 - - ---- Prognostication of death in a, i. 250 - - ---- Remarkable, of a clergyman, i. 247 - - ---- Warning given in a, i. 254 - - ---- Warning neglected, i. 244 - - Dreams and visions, i. 211 - - Dreams, Nature of, i. 210 - - ---- of James Jessop, i. 244, 245 - - ---- recorded in Scripture, i. 211 - - ---- reproduction of thoughts in, i. 215 - - ---- supernatural, i. 210 - - Dunbar's testimony, Rev. Dr., ii. 218 - - Dungeon at Glamis Castle, The, ii. 114 - - - Early Popes martyrs, The, i. 31 - - Eastern form of exorcism, i. 162 - - Ecclesiastical miracles, i. 32 - - Effect of the Supernatural, i. 7 - - Elimination of God, The, i. 19 - - Elizabeth Gorham bewitched, i. 187 - - ---- Style accused of witchcraft, i. 177 - - ---- Tibbots bewitched, i. 178 - - ---- Treslar hung for witchcraft, i. 181 - - Ellinor Shaw and Mary Philips, i. 182 - - Emperor Julian thwarted, The, i. 42 - - English canon concerning exorcism, i. 164 - - ---- statutes against witchcraft, i. 163 - - "Eternal," The term, i. 5 - - Execution of Frederick Caulfield, i. 223 - - ---- of Lamb's servant, i. 203 - - Exhumation of James Quin, i. 236 - - Exorcism, Power of, i. 57, 69, 82 - - ---- Latin form of, i. 138 - - ---- Oriental form of, i. 162 - - - Facts of witchcraft and necromancy, i. 164 - - Faculty of Jerome Cardan, i. 283 - - Fall of aerolites, i. 25 - - False reasoning, i. 26 - - Ferrers family, Omen concerning, i. 272 - - Florence Newton accused of witchcraft, i. 180 - - Friday an unlucky day, i. 282 - - - Ghost of Bisham Abbey, ii. 91 - - God and His creatures, i. 4 - - ---- The elimination of, i. 19 - - Guesses of Science, The, i. 14 - - - Hand of Arrowsmith preserved, i. 95 - - Hanmer, Mr. C. L., on an apparition, ii. 60 - - Hannah Green's testimony, i. 242 - - Haunted houses and localities, ii. 82 - - ---- chamber at Creslow, ii. 92 - - ---- Glamis Castle, ii. 114 - - ---- house at Barby, ii. 109 - - ---- house at Berne, ii. 126 - - ---- house in Cheshire, ii. 116 - - ---- house in Scotland, ii. 123 - - ---- place at York Castle, ii. 96 - - ---- places, ii. 84 - - ---- police cell, ii. 121 - - ---- road near Cardiff, ii. 114 - - ---- room at Glamis Castle, ii. 112 - - ---- room in the Tower, ii. 104 - - ---- spot in Yorkshire, ii. 100 - - Hell-Fire Club, The, ii. 207 - - Henry Spicer's testimony, Mr., ii. 75 - - ---- IV. of France, Omen of death to, i. 267 - - Herder on Witchcraft, ii. 210 - - Heresies of the modern Spiritualists, ii. 185, 191 - - Home, Mr. Daniel, ii. 151, 153 - - Hospitals, Christian in their origin, i. 10 - - Howell, Mr. J., on Spiritualism, ii. 176, 177 - - Howitt, Mr. W., on eternal punishment, ii. 186, 188 - - Hume on miracles, i. 23 - - - Increase Mather on the tests of demoniacal possession, i. 173 - - ---- Mather's "Cases of Conscience," i. 195 - - Inquiries regarding Wynyard, ii. 33 - - - Jane Brookes accused of witchcraft, i. 175 - - ---- Wenham accused of witchcraft, i. 192 - - Johnson, Dr. Samuel, on the Lyttelton ghost, ii. 45 - - - Kostka's, S. Stanislaus, apparition, ii. 53 - - ---- picture at Stonyhurst, ii. 53 - - - Labarum, The, i. 37 - - Lactantius on dreams, i. 213 - - Lady Betty Cobb, ii. 15 - - Lancashire demoniacs, The, i. 171 - - Lane, Mr., on Modern Necromancy, ii. 215, 217 - - Laud, Omens concerning Archbishop, i. 271 - - Law of causation, The, i. 3 - - Lecky, Mr. W. H. E., on the Oxford Movement, ii. 232 - - Legion, The Thundering, i. 34 - - Longdon, Mary, bewitched, i. 194 - - Lord Falkland, Omen concerning, i. 270 - - Lord Litchfield's note of a presentiment, i. 281 - - ---- testimony, i. 281 - - Lord Westcote's testimony, ii. 42 - - Lyttelton Ghost story, ii. 36, 42, 46 - - - Macdonald's, A., case of second sight, i. 285 - - Macknish on dreams, i. 215 - - Major George Sydenham, ii. 22 - - Marquis de Marsay on Spirits, ii. 86 - - Mary of Medicis, Omen of death to, i. 267 - - Media, Table of Spiritual, ii. 143 - - Mines, Haunted, ii. 84 - - Ministry of Angels, ii. 82 - - Miracles at Rome in 1792, i. 17 - - ---- Bishop Hall on, ii. 230 - - ---- examination of at Rome, ii. 227 - - ---- of our Lord, i. 30 - - ---- of Prince Hohenlohe, i. 17 - - ---- wrought by the Blessed Sacrament, i. 123, 126 - - Miracle at Garswood, i. 96 - - ---- at Metz, i. 128 - - ---- at Typasa, i. 42 - - ---- under Marcus Aurelius, i. 33 - - Miraculous cure at Pontoise, i. 83 - - ---- facts, Tradition of, i. 32 - - ---- of Joseph Lamb, i. 95 - - ---- of Mary Wood, i. 114 - - ---- of Winifred White, i. 116 - - Mediumship, ii. 143 - - ---- Clairlative, ii. 146 - - ---- Clairvoyant, ii. 150 - - ---- Developing, ii. 148 - - ---- Duodynamic, ii. 148 - - ---- Gesticulating, ii. 144 - - ---- Homo-motor, ii. 147 - - ---- Impersonating, ii. 145 - - ---- Impressional, ii. 150 - - ---- Manipulating, ii. 145 - - ---- Missionary, ii. 149 - - ---- Motive, ii. 144 - - ---- Neurological, ii. 146 - - ---- Pantomimic, ii. 145 - - ---- Pictorial, ii. 148 - - ---- Psychologic, ii. 147 - - ---- Psychometric, ii. 148 - - ---- Pulsatory, ii. 145 - - ---- Speaking, ii. 150 - - ---- Symbolic, ii. 147 - - ---- Sympathetic, ii. 146 - - ---- Therapeutic, ii. 149 - - ---- Tipping, ii. 144 - - ---- Vibratory, ii. 144 - - Miss Weld's testimony, ii. 54 - - Modern scientific methods, i. 10 - - Monsignor Patterson's testimony, ii. 52 - - More's "Antidote against Atheism," i. 173 - - Mr. De Lisle on Miracles, i. 15 - - Mr. De Lisle's testimony, ii. 54 - - Mr. Edwin De Lisle in reply to Strauss, i. 4 - - Mr. E. Lenthal Swifte's testimony, ii. 104 - - Mr. George Fortescue's declaration, ii. 43 - - Mr. Henry Cope Caulfeild's testimony, ii. 115 - - Mr. Herbert Spencer answered, i. 11 - - Mr. J. G. Godwin's declaration, ii. 68 - - Mr. Laxon's wife tormented, i. 189 - - Mr. M. P. Andrews' declaration, ii. 43 - - Mr. Ralph Davis on the Northampton witches, i. 182 - - Mr. Rutherford's declaration, i. 263 - - Mr. William Talbot's testimony, i. 226 - - Mrs. Baillie-Hamilton's testimony, ii. 66 - - Mrs. George Lee's testimony, i. 230 - - Mrs. Kempson's testimony, i. 254 - - Murder discovered by a dream, i. 221 - - ---- of Maria Martin discovered, i. 231 - - ---- of the crippled and imbecile, i. 9 - - - Naturalistic materialism, i. 10 - - Nature of God, i. 6 - - ---- dreams, i. 210 - - Necromancy recognized by the fathers, i. 161 - - ---- in China, ii. 220 - - Northamptonshire witches, The, i. 182 - - Notions, reintroduction of Pagan, i. 13 - - - Old traditions generally accepted, ii. 90 - - Omen concerning Archbishop Laud, i. 271 - - ---- concerning King Charles I., i. 268, 269, 270 - - ---- concerning Lord Falkland, i. 270 - - Omens and prognostications, i. 263 - - ---- The subject of, i. 263 - - Opinions of Strauss, i. 3 - - Oracles, The cessation of, i. 282 - - Ostrehan's, Captain, testimony, ii. 218 - - Oxenham omen, The, i. 273 - - - Pagan notions, Reintroduction of, i. 13 - - Patterson's, Monsignor, information, ii. 52 - - Perrone, Father, on Spiritualism, ii. 184 - - Philipsons of Colgarth, The, i. 90 - - Planchette, Use of, ii. 220, 222 - - Plumer Ward's, Mr., account of the Lyttelton ghost, ii. 46 - - Plutarch on the "Cessation of Oracles," i. 282 - - Popes martyrs, The early, i. 31 - - Portrait of S. Stanislaus, ii. 53 - - Power and malice of Satan, ii. 83 - - ---- of blessing and cursing, i. 90 - - ---- of exorcism claimed exclusively, i. 163 - - Presentiment of Lieutenant R----, i. 250 - - ---- of death, i. 262 - - ---- to Lady Warre's chaplain, i. 281 - - Principle of benediction, The, i. 88 - - Principles of the Broad Church party, ii. 137 - - Prognostication of death in a dream, i. 250 - - ---- of death to Captain Speer, i. 252 - - Prognostications and omens, i. 263 - - Propriety of a revelation, i. 5 - - Purbrick, Rev. E. J., on the Weld ghost story, ii. 54 - - Purport of dreams, i. 212 - - - Rebuilding of the Temple, i. 42 - - "Report on Spiritualism" quoted, ii. 153 - - Rev. Dr. Cox's testimony, ii. 54 - - Rev. Dr. J. M. Neale's testimony i. 243 - - Rev. Edward Price on the World of Spirits, ii. 82 - - Rev. G. R. Winter on the Swaffham tinker, i. 215 - - Rev. H. N. Oxenham's testimony, i. 277 - - Rev. J. Richardson's testimony, i. 253 - - Rev. John Wesley on evil spirits, ii. 85 - - Rev. Joseph Jefferson's testimony, ii. 100 - - Rev. Mr. Perring's dream realized, i. 234 - - Rev. T. J. Morris's testimony, i. 240 - - "Rules for the Spirit Circle" quoted, ii. 151 - - - S. Augustine on miracles, i. 30 - - S. Bernard on dreams, i. 214 - - S. Cyprian on dreams, i. 214 - - S. Cyril on dreams, i. 214 - - S. Irenæus on miracles, i. 41 - - S. John's College, Oxford, Founding of, i. 267 - - S. Pacian on miracles, i. 41 - - S. Thomas Aquinas on dreams, i. 214 - - Sacrilege discovered by a dream, i. 232 - - "Sadducismus Triumphatus" referred to, i. 199 - - Satan, power and malice of, ii. 83 - - Science and faith, Rev. R. S. Hawker on, ii. 239 - - Science of the Pagan oracles, i. 161 - - "Scientific View of Modern Spiritualism" quoted, ii. 143 - - Scott, Dream of Andrew, i. 261 - - Scripture on witchcraft and necromancy, i. 164 - - Séance at the Marshalls', i. 203 - - ---- record of, from "Spiritual Magazine," ii. 169 - - Second sight, Treatise on, i. 285 - - ---- at Cardiff, i. 286 - - ---- at Ramsbury, i. 288 - - ---- Jerome Cardan's gift of, i. 283 - - Sexton, Dr. G., on spiritualism, ii. 225 - - Shakespeare's conception of the supernatural, ii. 89 - - Singular prognostication, i. 250 - - Sir Christopher Heydon on astrology, i. 200 - - Sir George Caulfeild, i. 223 - - Sir Henry Chauncy trying witches, i. 193 - - Sir Henry Yelverton and his death, i. 95 - - Sir Martin Beresford, ii. 13 - - Sir Matthew Hale's evidence as to witchcraft, i. 163 - - Sir Thomas Brown's evidence against witchcraft, i. 163 - - Slade's, Sir Alfred, testimony, ii. 218 - - Somerset omen, The, i. 266 - - Sorcery of Dr. Lamb, i. 202 - - _Sortes Virgilianæ_, The, i. 269, 270 - - Sound of a drum, The, i. 278 - - Southey on haunted localities, ii. 84 - - Spectral dog, The, i. 280 - - Spectre of Lady Hobby, The, ii. 91 - - Spedlin's Tower haunted, ii. 97 - - Spirits, perturbed, ii. 87 - - ---- World of, ii. 82 - - Spiritualism despised, ii. 139 - - ---- modern, ii. 135, 169 - - ---- Mr. W. Crookes on the phenomena of, ii. 159 - - ---- Origin of, ii. 141 - - Spiritualistic manifestations, i. 205; - ii. 151, 153, 155, 157, 160, 161, 163, 169, 173, 175, 176, 177, 178, - 180 - - Statement of Lord Lyttelton's valet, ii. 45 - - Stigmatization, i. 98, 100, 101, 102, 105, 109 - - Strauss, Opinions of, i. 2 - - Successful exorcism by an English clergyman, i. 80 - - Sudden death of Ruth Pierce, i. 289 - - Supernatural banished, The, ii. 140 - - ---- basis of life, i. 12 - - ---- its work, i. 2 - - ---- noises at Abbotsford, ii. 99 - - ---- religion, i. 18 - - Surey demoniac, The, i. 177 - - - Tertullian on dreams, i. 213 - - Testimony to the fulfilment of a solemn Curse, i. 117 - - The Chester-le-Street apparition, ii. 3 - - The Christian system, i. 26 - - The Lyttelton ghost story, ii. 35 - - The Misses Amphlett, ii. 39 - - The Oxenham omen, i. 274 - - The result of a solemn Curse, i. 117 - - The sound of a drum, i. 278 - - The spectral dog, i. 280 - - ---- bird, ii. 128 - - The use of the Sign of the Cross, ii. 4 - - The white bird of the Oxenhams, i. 274 - - Theories concerning dreams, i. 210 - - Thirteen to Dinner, i. 281 - - Thomas Aquinas on miracles, S., i. 28 - - Three men rescued by a dream, i. 231 - - Tichborne dole, The, i. 264 - - ---- Curse and Prophecy, The, i. 265 - - ---- Mabella, Lady, i. 264 - - ---- Sir Henry, i. 265 - - ---- Sir Roger, i. 264 - - Tinley, Dream of Samuel, i. 262 - - Tradition of miraculous powers, i. 32 - - Treatise on second sight, i. 285 - - Trial of Rev. E. Arrowsmith, i. 91 - - Trinity of Comteism, The, i. 19 - - Twice-repeated dream of a sailor, i. 231 - - Tyrone apparition, The, ii. 11 - - - Unalterable experience, i. 24 - - Use of the Sign of the Cross, ii. 4 - - - Wallace, Mr. A., on spiritualism and science, ii. 193 - - Wandering souls, ii. 87 - - Ward's account of the Lyttelton ghost, Mr., ii. 46 - - Warning given in a dream, i. 238, 254 - - ---- given to a lady by a dream, i. 242 - - ---- to a lady, i. 258 - - ---- to a little child, i. 260 - - ---- to two persons in dreams, i. 258 - - "Weekly Register," The, on Mr. Wallace's theories, ii. 197 - - Weld ghost story, The, ii. 49 - - ---- Philip, drowned, ii. 50 - - ---- Very Rev. Alfred, S. J., on the Weld ghost story, ii. 54 - - Weld's, Philip, apparition, ii. 53 - - Westcote, Lord, on the Lyttelton ghost, i. 33 - - White's Dream, Sir Thomas, i. 266 - - Witchcraft and necromancy, i. 152 - - ---- and sorcery, Canon Melville on, i. 156 - - ---- common in non-Catholic countries, i. 201 - - ---- condemned in Scripture, i. 152, 155 - - ---- Definition of, i. 174 - - ---- Examples of, i. 176-201 - - ---- George More on, i. 171 - - ---- Herder on, ii. 210 - - ---- Jane Wenham accused of, i. 192 - - ---- Joseph Glanville on, i. 175 - - ---- recognized by the Fathers, i. 161 - - ---- Rev. John Wesley on, i. 160 - - Witches, The Northamptonshire, i. 182 - - "Wonders of the Invisible World," i. 198 - - World of spirits, The, ii. 82 - - Wynyard ghost story, The, ii. 26 - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] "Westminster Review," July, 1872. - -[2] Acts xvii. 27. - -[3] The idea of the eternal enters largely into the stock arguments of -unbelief; for it is through the asserted "eternity of matter" that the -unbeliever shifts away the ideas of creation and a creator. - -[4] Articles of Religion, No. 1, Book of Common Prayer. - -[5] Christianity, as we know, exhorted men and women to the care of the -aged, the suffering, and the infirm. Our Blessed Saviour's promise, -regarding the gift of a cup of cold water and its reward, was not -forgotten. Christian love resisted and cast out Pagan selfishness. -Hospitals were built where the diseases of the poor might be cured; where -the sore distress of hopeless pain and slow wasting-away might be soothed; -and asylums were provided where the weak and imbecile might be tended. Now -if the Pagan theories of "scientific people" are applied, the chief duty -of physicians in the future will be to poison their patients. Such a -conception would be ludicrous were it not so utterly revolting. - -[6] A writer in an influential organ of opinion connected with the -American Church puts forth the following vigorous protest:-- - -"It is quite as well that we should be accustomed to the logical -consequences of some of our philosophies. The tradition of Christianity is -so strong upon the most 'advanced' of our wise men that it holds them back -from the carrying-out of their principles. But here and there is one, and -we should all be thankful to him who is so intellectually constituted that -he must carry 'a law' to its issue, and by the issue let us see the nature -of the law. The hint of what may be is given in the revival of the -advocacy of suicide for the wretched, and the putting to death of the -helpless. Naturalism carried out comes to that conclusion. Mr. Herbert -Spencer had been patiently laying down principles which scores who think -they think are accepting, without the slightest idea, on his part -apparently or on theirs, that they are simple savagery and pure Paganism, -and that the man who dines off his aged mother has been acting on them, -though Mr. Spencer's name had never been heard in his native speech. - -"In some sense of the supernatural, in some faith in the unseen, in some -feeling that man is not of this world, in some grasp on the Eternal God, -and on an eternal, supernatural, and supersensuous life, lies the basis of -all pity and mercy, all help and comfort and patience and sympathy among -men. Set these aside, commit us only to the natural, to what our eyes see -and our hands handle; and while we may organize society scientifically, -and live according to 'the laws of nature,' and be very philosophical and -very liberal, we are standing on the ground on which every pack of wolves -gallops. - -"One may safely say, 'If you will show me, on any principle of naturalism, -or any rule of what you shallowly in these days call 'philosophy,' on any -law of nature, why I should not strangle my deaf and dumb child, smother -my paralytic father, or drown my hopelessly insane wife, then I will turn -materialist also.' We are far from believing that these gentlemen know how -they have been undermining the foundations of civilized and social life. A -lurid glare cast across these speculations, like this English discussion -of Euthanasia, may startle some whom Mr. Tyndall's discussion of the -scientific absurdity of prayer might not startle, though both are locked -in one, and stand or fall together. But however it be, we are sure that -man will find that society stands on supernatural ground, that the Family -and the Nation are divine, and that 'Naturalism,' modified or disguised as -it may be, is only isolated savagery--'every man for himself, and the -weakest to the wall.'" - -[7] A writer in the "Church Journal" of New York puts the case well and -fairly as follows:--"The scientific people have taken up the lost weapons -of bigoted theological polemics, and assail with the rough sides of their -tongues and pens any man who calls for further evidence, or presumes to -bring their assumptions to the test of examination. But having no more -reverence for the unsustained _dicta_ of Sir Charles Lyell, Mr. Proctor, -or Professor Tyndall, than for the same sort of _dicta_ from a Middle Age -monk, we shall go on calling for proof. Our credulity is incapable of -saying 'we know' about a thing of which, when we examine, nobody 'knows' -anything, except that some scientific man asserts it in his book. - -"We are not 'enemies to science;' we only want science, and not guesses. -And the thoroughly unscientific, uncritical, and credulous way in which -men like Mr. Proctor are declaring 'we know' about things of which they -know nothing, is one of the greatest obstacles with which science has to -contend." - -[8] "La Croix de Migné vengée de l'incrédulité du siècle." Published at -Paris, in 1829. - -[9] "Account of the Miraculous Events at Rome in the years 1792 and 1793." -Published in London, by Keating and Brown, Duke Street, Grosvenor Square. - -[10] Hume's "Essays and Treatises on Various Subjects," second edition, -vol. ii. p. 122. London, 1784. - -[11] Ibid. vol. ii. p. 133. - -[12] Take for example the subject of meteoric stones. Marked changes with -regard to a belief in these, have existed in the past. The scholar can -testify that antiquity is undoubtedly in favour of their existence. -Plutarch, for example, in his "Life of Lysander," describes a celebrated -aerolite which fell in Thrace, and History testifies unmistakably to -similar events--more particularly to the preservation of such in ancient -temples. Yet it was not until the year 1803, when meteoric stones fell at -L'Aigle in Normandy, that the Academy of Sciences in Paris appointed a -committee to investigate the case, and their report determined the -question. Mr. W. G. Nevill, F.G.S., of Gresham Street, City, London, -comprises the above in the following testimony to facts which appeared in -the "Standard," of Feb. 25, 1873. "With reference to a paragraph headed -'An Exercise of Credulity' in your paper of the 24th instant, allow me to -offer a few observations, as the circumstance narrated therein of the fall -of an aerolite on board the Seven Stones light-vessel, as narrated by the -crew, is of extreme interest. The men in the light-vessel service are -carefully selected by the elder brethren of the Trinity House and trained -to make observations on the weather and record them in books at the time, -which books are received as evidence in the Admiralty Court. Their account -agrees in the main with the details given in other cases. My father, Mr. -W. Nevill, of Godalming, has a collection of specimens of 226 distinct -falls of such bodies. These take place in all parts of the world. I -believe only one instance has before been recorded in England. That -occurred at Wold Cottage, Thwing, Yorkshire, on Dec. 13, 1795. One of the -earliest recorded falls took place at Guisheim, in Alsace, during a -battle, Nov. 7, 1492, and was preserved in the neighbouring church. A -large shower of stones took place at L'Aigle, in north of France, on April -26, 1803 (not very far from the Seven Stones). These stones are of a grey -ashy colour and invariably coated with black enamel; other meteorites are -composed of solid native iron, and are sometimes of large size, as the one -at Bitburg in Rhenish Prussia, which weighed several tons." - -[13] "Athenæum," for March 12, 1859, p. 350. - -[14] Testimonies to the Supernatural amongst Christian writers are -abundant. The following may be instanced as a few concerning such events, -both in the second and third centuries:--Justin Martyr, Ap. ii. cap. vi.; -Dial. cum Tryph. cap. xxxix. and lxxxii.; Irenæus, ii. 31 and v. 6; -Tertullian "Apolog." cap. 23, 27, 32, 37; "Origen against Celsus," book i. -p. 7 and book vii. pp. 334-335, Ed. Spencer; Dionysius of Alexandria, in -"Eccl. Hist." of Eusebius, vi. 40; Minucius Felix Octav. p. 361, Ed. -Paris, 1605; S. Cyprian, "De Idol. Vanit." p. 14. - -[15] S. John xiv. 12. - -[16] "Hist. Eccles." cap. v. Chronicon. p. 82. - -[17] The following version by Dio. Cassius, translated from the "Annals" -of Baronius, affords no slender testimony to the account by Eusebius given -in the text:--"When the barbarians would not give them battle, in hopes of -their perishing by heat and thirst, since they had so surrounded them that -they had no possible means of getting water; and when they were in the -utmost distress from sickness, wounds, sun, and thirst, and could neither -fight nor retreat, but remained in order of battle and at their posts in -this parched condition, suddenly clouds gathered, and a copious rainfall, -not without the mercy of God. And when it first began to fall, the Romans, -raising their mouths towards heaven, received it upon them; next, turning -up their shields and helmets, they drank largely out of them, and gave to -their horses. And when the barbarians charged them, they drank as they -fought, and numbers of them were wounded.... And while they were thus -incurring heavy loss from the assault of the enemy, because most of them -were engaged in drinking, a violent hailstorm and much lightning were -discharged upon the enemy. And thus water and fire might be seen in the -same place falling from heaven, that some might drink refreshment and -others be burnt to death."--Dion. Cass. "Hist." lxxi. p. 805. - -[18] The treatise of Apollinaris, it should be added, is lost; and there -seems to be some ground for believing that a particular Legion bore the -name "Thundering" as far back as the days of Augustus. This latter -assertion, however, even if proved, cannot set aside the leading facts -recorded in the text. - -[19] "Life of Marcus Antonius," chap. xxiv. - -[20] "Historia Romana," lxi. 8. - -[21] Mosheim's "Ecclesiastical History" (Ed. Stubbs), vol. i. pp. 99-101. -London, 1863. - -[22] "Two Essays on Scripture Miracles and on Ecclesiastical," by J. H. -Newman, pp. 273-4, Second Edition. London, 1870. - -[23] Socrates, Philostorgius, Gelasius, and Nicephorus declare that the -Cross was in the sky. Sozomen, too, on the authority of Eusebius, makes a -similar statement. So likewise does Rufinus. - -[24] This standard was known by the name of the "Labarum"--a word the -etymology of which is very uncertain. It was a pole plated with gold, upon -which was laid horizontally a cross-bar, so as to form the figure of a -cross. The top of the perpendicular shaft was adorned with a golden crown, -ornamented with precious stones. In the middle of this crown was a -monogram representing the name of Christ by the two Greek initial letters -[Greek: X] and [Greek: R]. A purple veil of a square figure hung from the -cross-bar, which was likewise spangled with jewels. Gretser, "De Cruce," -Lib. i. cap. iv. - -[25] S. John v. 20. - -[26] Liber cont. Hær. c. xxxi. - -[27] Daniel ix. 20-27. - -[28] These miraculous interventions are testified to by S. Gregory -Nazianzen, S. Chrysostom, and S. Ambrose, as well as by Rufinus, Socrates, -Sozomen, and Theodoret. They are also recorded by Philostorgius the Arian, -and by Ammianus the Pagan. Bishop Warburton published a volume entitled -"Julian" in proof of their miraculous character, and they are acknowledged -as such by Bishop Halifax on p. 23 of his "Discourses." - -[29] Those who testify to the truth of this miracle are firstly a -Christian prelate, Victor Vitenus, "Hist. Pers." sec. Vandal, iii. p. 613, -whose words are translated above; the Emperor Justinian (who declares that -he had seen some of the sufferers, "Codex Justin." Lib. I. Tit. xxx. Ed. -1553); the Greek historian, Procopius of Cæsarea, who asserts that their -tongues were cut off as low down as their throat, and that he had -conversed with them, Lib. I. "De Bell. Vand." cap. viij. and x. 1. Æneas -of Gaza, a Platonic philosopher, who, having examined their mouths, -remarked that he was not so much surprised at their being able to talk, as -at their being able to live. He saw them at Constantinople. Mosheim, -amongst Protestants, and Dodwell, the nonjuror, amongst English writers, -frankly admit the miracle. The most lucid and exhaustive account, however, -may be found in Section ix. of Dr. J. H. Newman's "Essays on Miracles," -pp. 369-387 (Second edition, London, 1870), where the ancient evidence is -set forth at length. - -[30] On this subject a volume has recently been published, entitled "The -Tongue not Essential to Speech: with Illustrations of the Power of Speech -in the African Confessors." By the Hon. Edward Twistleton. London: 1873. -This book has been carefully and exhaustively criticized in "The Month," -for September, 1873. It will be sufficient here to remark that the modern -scientific objections to this miracle, that, because in a certain case, by -the skill of an operator, a tongue was so removed with marked dexterity in -recent times, therefore the power of speech retained by the African -Confessors was an ordinary event, are objections at once inconsequential -and invalid. - -[31] "De Civitate Dei," Lib. xxii. p. 8. - -[32] "Epist. Sti. Greg.;" "Hist. Bed." Lib. i. c. xxxj. - -[33] _Vide_ "Sti. Bernardi Vita," _in loco_, published by Mabillon. - -[34] They were examined on the spot, by virtue of a Commission from John -III. King of Portugal, and were generally acknowledged, not only by -Europeans, but also by native Mahometans and Pagans. The important and -conclusive testimony of three Protestant writers--Hackluyt, Baldens, and -Tavernier--is set forth in Bouhours' "Life of Francis Xavier," which our -own poet, John Dryden, translated and published. - -[35] S. Matthew xv. 22-28. - -[36] S. Mark iii. 11. _Ibid._ iii. 15, 22-30. - -[37] S. Mark v. 2-15. See also S. Luke viii. 26-40. Instances of such -power bestowed and exercised over unclean or deaf and dumb spirits may be -found in the following:--S. Mark vi. 13; vii. 25-30; ix. 17-29. S. Luke -iv. 33-37; ix. 38-42; xi. 14-26. Acts v. 12, 16; xvi. 16-18; xix. 13-20; -xxviii. 3-6. - -[38] One of the most distinguished physicians in London recently assured -the Editor that, in his judgment, numerous peculiar and remarkable cases -both of epilepsy and madness could only be duly and rationally accounted -for by the Christian theory of possession; and he himself declared that if -the Church's spiritual powers on the one hand, and the virtue of faith on -the other, were more commonly put into practice than they are, many cures, -by God's blessing, might be looked for. - -[39] "The History of Cornwall," by Fortescue Hitchins, Esq., in 2 vols. -4to. Helston, 1824. Vol. ii. pp. 548-51. - -[40] The parish of Little Petherick is six miles north of S. Columb, and -three due south from Padstow. - -[41] Bishop Seth Ward, D.D.--Editor. - -[42] "No minister or ministers shall ... without the license and direction -(_mandatum_) of the Bishop ... attempt upon any pretence whatsoever either -of possession or obsession, by fasting or prayer, to cast out any devil or -devils, under pain of the imputation of imposture or cosenage, and -deposition from the ministry."--Canons of 1604, No. 72. - -[43] Mr. Hawker quotes from the Diary of Mr. Ruddle for July 10th, 1665, -the following triumphant entry:--"How sorely must the infidels and -hereticks of this generation be dismayed when they know that this Black -Death, which is now swallowing its thousands in the streets of the great -city [London] was foretold six months agone, under the exorcisms of a -country minister, by a visible and suppliant ghost! And what pleasures and -improvements do such deny themselves who scorn and avoid all opportunity -of intercourse with souls separate, and the spirits, glad and sorrowful, -which inhabit the unseen world."--pp. 123-4. - -[44] In the act of exorcism, of course it is not necessary that the -exorcist be a clergyman, in other words, in holy orders. An "exorcist" -technically so called, when formally ordained, is only in "minor" and not -in "holy" or "sacred orders." Any Christian layman, with faith and a -hearty desire and readiness to abide by the rules of the Church, can -perform the act of exorcism, if no duly-ordained exorcist can be had; just -as a layman (in the absence of a priest), can validly baptize. By baptism -the "old man" is cast out, and the work of regeneration formally effected. -By exorcism, some evil spirit or devil is expelled from a person -possessed, in the Name of our Adorable Redeemer, Who triumphed over death -and hell, and Who delegated Divine powers to the Church which He -instituted. "It belongs to an exorcist," writes a distinguished Western -divine, "by exorcisms to deliver energumens and catechumens from the -vexations of demons."--"Axioms concerning the Sacraments," No. lxviii. of -Augustinus Hunnæus. On this point, the same theologian, sometime Professor -of Theology at Louvain, writes thus:--"In adults catechism, whereby the -doctrine of faith is delivered, ought to precede baptism; but exorcism, -whereby evil spirits are expelled, and the senses opened to the perception -of the mysteries of Salvation, ought to precede catechism. _Both, as well -catechism as exorcism, pertain to the office of a priest_; but in -catechizing he uses the ministry of a reader: _in exorcism that of an -exorcist_."--"Axioms concerning the Sacraments," No. xii. - -[45] This clergyman, whose name the Editor is not at liberty to mention, -is known to many to be "a discerner of spirits." He is now a dignitary of -the English Church in the colonies. - -[46] "The same has been attested to myself by M. Denison, nephew to the -celebrated Morand, whom I saw at that time at Maubuisson-les-Pontoise. He -ran the same career as his uncle, and was also distinguished for his -merit. F. G. P." - -[47] Deut. x. 8; Numb. vi. 22-26, a form which the Christian Church has -adopted and retained. - -[48] Heb. vii. 7. - -[49] Another version of this conversation gives the report as follows: -"And should I die unjustly and undeservedly, my lord, in that case, you, -my lord, shall soon die too, and follow me; yea within the compass of a -year."--_MS. Letter of Very Rev. Dr. Husenbeth._ - -[50] "That _dead_ dog Arrowsmith" stands in another version of this -portion of the narrative.--Editor. - -[51] They went in company with Thomas Cutler and Elizabeth Dooley. The -above facts were formally authenticated by the parents of Lamb, as also by -the Rev. Thomas Sadler, of Trafford, near Manchester; and the Rev. J. -Craythorne, of Garswood. A friend who resides in Lancashire informs the -Editor that this miracle is firmly believed by thousands (A.D. 1873). - -[52] It was on this day that formal and sufficient testimonies were put -into writing of the fact of the cure narrated above; and duly signed by -those who from their own personal knowledge could testify to the truth of -the same. - -[53] The event recorded above, Arrowsmith's sufferings and death, and its -details are taken from Dod's "Church History," Challoner's "Memoirs of -Missionary Priests," vol. ii. pp. 130-146; a "Relation of the Death of E. -Arrowsmith," published A.D. 1630; a Latin MS. of his life, preserved at -Douay; and special traditional information given to the Editor by the late -Very Rev. Dr. Husenbeth, Provost of Northampton. - -[54] This wonderful mystery is frequently represented in Christian Art, -both with beauty and effect. - -[55] See a rare and remarkable pamphlet, by Mr. De Lisle, with etchings by -J. R. Herbert, R.A., now out of print, containing an account of his visit -to the subject of this miraculous occurrence. London: Dolman, 1841. - -[56] The following is the full title of the volume from which the above -narrative and the extracts given are taken:--"Louise Lateau of Bois -d'Haine, her Life, her Ecstasies, and her Stigmata." A medical study, by -Dr. F. Lefebvre. Translated from the French. Edited by Rev. J. Spencer -Northcote, D.D., President of S. Mary's College, Oscott. To which the -following explanatory note may be added:--The name of Dr. Lefebvre is -sufficient guarantee of the importance of any work coming from his pen. -During twenty years that he has filled the chair of General Pathology and -Therapeutics in the University of Louvain he has gained a world-wide -reputation by his investigations in the wide and, to a great extent, -unexplored field of medical research. Add to this moral qualities of the -first order, and ardent zeal in the cause of religion, and we have a -character which commands our admiration and esteem in the highest degree. -The book, translated into English under the superintendence of Dr. -Northcote, is a medical inquiry into the case of Louise Lateau, the -Belgian _stigmatizata_. The medical features of the case are all that Dr. -Lefebvre proposes to treat, leaving, of course, to the proper -ecclesiastical authorities the theological investigation. An abridged -account of this case has been published, entitled "Louise Lateau, the -Ecstatica of Bois d'Haine," by Dr. Lefebvre, translated from the French by -J. S. Shepard. London: Richardson and Son. 1872. - -[57] This account was written in 1874. - -[58] Affidavits of the truth of the above narrative have been made by the -physician and clergyman who witnessed the miraculous intervention, as also -by the person more immediately concerned--Miss Collins. - -[59] Among the spectators were the following: Mr. R. Tobin and family, Mr. -John Sullivan and wife, Mr. C. D. O'Sullivan and wife, Mr. J. A. Donahue -and wife, Mr. George Hooper and wife, Mrs. Emmet Doyle, Mr. D. J. Oliver, -and many others. Dr. Polactri was standing by Miss Collins's bedside, -taking notes on the condition of the patient. He confessed the case was -beyond the reach of medical science. Her head moved from side to side with -the intensity of her agony, and her tongue was parched and swollen. - -[60] Mr. D. J. Oliver writes from San Francisco, in a private letter, as -follows: "I was awe-stricken whilst beholding the miracle. I know both the -young girls, and the account is correct in every particular, except that -the stigmata was on both sides of the hands and feet, and not on one side -only. I spent an hour with them last evening, and saw them at communion at -early mass this morning." - -[61] The account up to this point is copied from a Letter to Miss F. T. -Bird, dated September 3, 1809, by Mr. Woodford, an eminent surgeon of -Taunton, who attended Mary Wood upon her accident. - -[62] Certain stated prayers and devotional exercises continued throughout -_nine_ days. - -[63] The authentic documents of the examination, and of the whole process -of the cure, are contained at length in a work entitled "The Miraculous -Cure of Winifred White," by the Rev. John Milner, D.D., published by Grace -of Dublin, and reprinted, on several occasions and in different forms, in -England. It may be added that Winifred White departed this life on the -13th of January, 1824, nineteen years after her cure. She died of -consumption. - -[64] A well-known clergyman of the Church of England. - -[65] The account from which the above was compiled was a formal and -authentic statement of the Curé de S. Martin, at Metz (A.D. 1865). - -[66] The account given above is taken from a small tractate entitled "The -Miracle of Metz, wrought by the Blessed Sacrament, June 14, 1865," -translated from the French, by Lady Georgiana Fullerton. With the -imprimaturs of His Grace the Archbishop of Westminster and the Bishop of -Metz. London: Burns and Co., 1865. - -[67] See a series of most interesting letters, entitled "Is God amongst -us?" by a Clergyman of the Church of England, published in the "Union" -newspaper, for 1857, vol. ii. pp. 262, 329-330. London: Painter. - -[68] "The Measure of Christian Sorrow for the Departed," a Sermon preached -at the funeral of Mary Lisle Phillipps de Lisle, by the Rev. Henry -Collins, M.A. Loughborough: J. H. Gray, 1860, pp. 11-13. - -[69] "Indulgenced prayers are prayers to the recital of which is attached -by the Church the grant of _indulgences_. By indulgences Catholics -understand a remission of sin, that is, of all those temporal pains which -God inflicts for sin committed by His servants after baptism; and the -Church teaches that the power of remission was conferred by Jesus Christ -when He said to the Apostles, 'Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall -be loosed in Heaven.'" S. Matt. xvi. 19. - -[70] An anonymous seventeenth-century writer reasons as follows:--"To know -things aright and perfectly is to know the causes thereof. A definition -doth consist of those causes which give the whole essence, and contain the -perfect nature of the thing defined; where that is therefore found out, -there appears the very clear light. If it be perfect, it is much the -greater; though if it be not fully perfect, yet it giveth some good light. -For which respect, though I dare not say I can give a perfect definition -in this matter, which is hard to do even in known things, because the -essential form is hard to be found, yet I do give a definition which may -at the least give notice and make known what manner of persons they be of -whom I am to speak:--A witch is one that worketh by the Devil, or by some -devilish or curious art, either hurting or healing, revealing things -secret, or foretelling things to come, which the Devil hath devised to -entangle and snare men's souls withal unto damnation. The Conjurer, the -Enchanter, the Sorcerer, the Diviner, and whatsoever other sort there is, -are indeed encompassed within this circle. The Devil doth (no doubt) after -divers sorts and divers forms, deal in these. But no man is able to show -an essential difference in each of them from the rest. I hold it no wisdom -or labour well spent to travel much therein. One artificer hath devised -them all." - -[71] "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."--Exodus xxii. 18. "Neither -shall ye use enchantment."--Levit. xix. 26. "Regard not them which have -familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by -them."--Ibid. ver. 31. "When thou art come into the land which the Lord -thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of -those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his -son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or -an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a -consulter with familiar spirits, or a necromancer. For all that do these -things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations -the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee."--Deut. xviii. -9-12. Of Manasseh is recorded, that "He caused his children to pass -through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed -times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a -familiar spirit, and with wizards."--2 Chron. xxxiii. 6. Lastly, S. Paul -mentions "witchcraft" amongst such "works of the flesh" as "adultery, -fornication, heresies, drunkenness, and murders."--Galat. v. 19-21. - -[72] Many of the heathens cordially defended magic and Necromancy. For -example, Asclepiades, who lived in the time of Pompey the Great, cured -diseases by magic, _enjoining upon his patient, in the case of the falling -sickness, to bind upon his arm a Cross with a Nail driven into it_. -Julianus, the magician, is reported to have driven the plague out of Rome -by magical power. Apuleius, a disciple of Plato, wrote at length on magic. -To him may be added Marcellus and Alexander Trallian. Pliny asserts in -very plain language that Necromancy was so prevalent in his day, but was -condemned by the wisest, that it was classed with treason and poisoning. -And it is notorious that magic was long used as a convenient though -inefficient weapon against Christianity.--Vide, likewise, Livy i. 20, and -Strabo, lib. vi. - -[73] "Fuga Satanæ. Exorcismus, ex sacrarum Litterarum fontibus, pioq S. -Ecclesiæ Instituto exhaustus. Authore Petro Antonio Stampa, Sacerdote -Clavenense. Cum privilegio. Venetiis. M.D.C.V. Apud Sebastianum Combis." - -[74] "Touching the antiquity of Witchcraft, we must needs confess that it -hath been of very ancient time, because the Scriptures do testify so much, -for in the time of Moses it was very rife in Egypt. Neither was it then -newly sprung up, being common, and grown into such ripeness among the -nations, that the Lord, reckoning by divers kinds, saith that the Gentiles -did commit such abominations, for which He would cast them out before the -children of Israel."--"What a Witch is, and the Antiquities of -Witchcraft," A.D. 1612. - -[75] See note to this effect on page 152. - -[76] The following passage, from a sermon by the late Canon Melville, -bears out the above statement:--"It is unnecessary for us to inquire what -those arts may have been in which the Ephesians are said to have greatly -excelled. There seems no reason for doubting that, as we have already -stated, they were of the nature of magic, sorcery, or witchcraft; though -we cannot profess accurately to define what such terms might import. The -Ephesians, as some in all ages have done, probably laid claim to -intercourse with invisible beings, and professed to derive from that -intercourse acquaintance with, and power over, future events. And though -the very name of witchcraft be now held in contempt, and the supposition -of communion with evil spirits scouted as a fable of what are called the -dark ages, we own that we have difficulty in believing that all which has -passed by the names of magic and sorcery may be resolved into sleight of -hand, deception, and trick. The visible world and the invisible are in -very close contact: there is, indeed, a veil on our eyes, preventing our -gazing on spiritual beings and things, but we doubt not that whatsoever -passes upon earth is open to the view of higher and immaterial creatures. -And as we are sure that a man of piety and prayer enlists good angels on -his side and engages them to perform towards him the ministrations of -kindness, we know not why there cannot be such a thing as a man whose -wickedness has caused his being abandoned by the Spirit of God, and who, -in this his desertion, has thrown open to evil angels the chambers of his -soul, and made himself so completely their instrument, that they may use -him in the uttering or working strange things, which shall have all the -air of prophecy or miracle."--"Sermons on certain of the less prominent -facts and references in Sacred Story." By Henry Melville, D.D. In two -volumes. London: Rivingtons, 1872. Vol. i. pp. 57, 58. - -[77] The above definitions are taken from the literary productions of -certain of the most recent "philosophers" and "thinkers" already referred -to in the text. - -[78] "The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, -fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, _witchcraft_, hatred, -variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, -murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like." Galat. v. 19-21. - -[79] This took place in England in the year 1736, in the teeth of the -protests of many, who felt that a modification of laws founded on an -explicit principle of Scripture would have been both wiser and safer than -their total and absolute abolition. Amongst others, Mr. John Wesley wrote -and preached to this effect. Quite recently a distinguished Liberal -statesman remarked that if the practices of the so-called "Spiritualists" -still developed, as for some time they had been developing, some -re-enactment of the laws against Witchcraft might become necessary. It -certainly seems one-sided and unfair that ignorant women should be -punished for "fortune-telling," and that the paid professional mediums -should go scot free. - -[80] The following bears out the remarks in the text:--"The influence of -Christianity upon magic could not be small; material changes would -undoubtedly be brought about through its influence.... At the epoch of -Christ's appearance, faith in demons, and particularly in evil spirits, -was not only general amongst the heathen, but also among the Jews to an -incredible extent; and unbounded powers, even as great as those of the -Divinity, were ascribed to them, which not only were supposed to influence -the mind, but also Nature and physical life."--Ennemoser's "History of -Magic." Translated by W. Howitt. London, 1854. Vol. i., pp. 340, 341. One -particular fact may be here put upon record, as being, to say the least, -more than remarkable: To the Roman Emperor Augustus, who, according to -Suidas and Nicephorus, sent to a renowned Oracle to inquire what successor -he should have, it was answered, "_The Hebrew Child, Whom all the gods -obey, drives me hence_." No other response was vouchsafed. - -[81] The Editor is indebted to the Rev. Dr. Littledale for the following -note:--"There is an authorized Form of Exorcism in the Greek -'Euchologion.' It begins with the Trisagion, and Psalms, _Domine exaudi_, -_Dominus regit me_, _Dominus illuminatio mea_, _Exurgat Deus_, _Miserere_, -_Domine ne in furore_, and _Domine exaudi precem_. Then follows the -Consolatory Canon, with a long Hymn addressed to our Blessed Lord, the -Blessed Virgin Mary, and All Saints. At the close of this the priest -anoints the patient, saying a brief prayer over him, and so the office -closes." See also Appendix to Chapter iii. pp. 138-148. - -[82] John Selden, in his "Table Talk," in the article upon "Devils," -somewhat scoffingly asserts that the Roman Catholics affirm that "the -Protestants the Devil hath already, and the Papists are so holy, he dares -not meddle with them." - -[83] "The Question of Witchcraft debated." By John Wagstaffe. London: -1669. Second edition, 1671. - -[84] "A True Discourse upon the Matter of Martha Brossier, of Romorantin," -translated out of French into English, by Abraham Hartwell. London: -imprinted for John Wolfe. 1599. - -[85] "The Copy of a Letter describing the Wonderful Worke of God in -delyviring a maydene within the city of Chester from a horrible kind of -torment or sicknesse, 16 February anno 1564." Imprinted at London for John -Judely, dwelling in Little Britayne Street beyond Aldersgate, 23 March -1564. - -[86] "A Briefe and True Discourse, contayning the certayne possession and -dispossession of seven persons in one familie, in Lancashire." By George -More, Minister and Preacher of the Word, and now (for bearing witness unto -this, and for justifying the rest,) a prisoner at the Clinks, where he -hath continued almost for two yeares. A.D. 1600. - -[87] It is asserted by several authorities that no less than three -thousand persons were executed for Witchcraft during that dark period of -heretical pravity, the Great Rebellion. Now, as "Rebellion," according to -the express assurance of the Prophet Samuel (1 Sam. xv. 23) "is as the sin -of Witchcraft," no hearty believer in God's revelation can be at all -surprised to find that both Witchcraft and Rebellion in an atmosphere of -heresy flourished together, under that odious tyrant and hypocritical -fanatic, Oliver Cromwell: when the altar was thrown down and both King and -Archbishop were murdered. - -[88] "An Antidote against Atheism: or an Appeal to the Natural Faculties -of the Mind of Man." By Henry More, Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. -1655. - -[89] "Cases of Conscience concerning Evil Spirits personating Men." By -Increase Mather. Printed at Boston, and reprinted in London for John -Dutton at the Raven in the Poultry, 1693. - -[90] "Sadducismus Triumphatus: a Full and Plain Evidence concerning -Witches and Apparitions." By Joseph Glanville, Chaplain in Ordinary to -King Charles II. London: 1726. - -[91] A careful deposition as to the above facts was made before the -Justices of the Peace mentioned, who added the following formal -attestation: "The aforesaid passages [_i.e._ occurrences] were some of -them seen by us, and some other remarkable ones, not here set down, were -upon the examination of several witnesses taken on oath before us. - - "(Signed) Robert Hunt. - John Carey." - -[92] "The Surey Demoniack; or, an Account of Satan's Strange and Dreadful -Actings in and about the Body of Richard Dugdale of Surey, near Whalley in -Lancashire." London: 1697. - -[93] The following curious extract from a "Coventry News-Letter," dated -Nov. 2, 1672, certainly tells a wonderful story, in some respects not -unlike that recorded in the text. It serves at all events to show what -were the popular notions concerning occurrences which, to say the least, -were very remarkable; and it is reprinted here _verbatim_:-- - -"All our wonder here about is employ'd at the strange condition of a maid -neare us, one Elizabeth Tibbots of about 18 yeares of age liveing with her -unkle one Thomas Crofts at a place cal'd Hust (?) in ye parish of Stonely -(Stoneleigh) about two miles hence. Ye maid for about this 3 weekes past -has bene taken with strange fitts in which shee has vomitted up severall -things incredible, as first severall Peble stones neare as big as eggs, -knives, sissers, peices of glass some of them two or 3 Inches square, -peices of Iron, an Iron Bullet of at least 8 Inches round, and 2 pound & -halfe weight, a black drinking pot of neare halfe a pint, peices of cloth -& wood, a pockett pistoll, a paire of Pincers, Bottoms of yarne and -severall other things many whereof are now at our majors, and have bene -evidently seene to come out at her mouth, by many credible witnesses, nor -should I my selfe venture to give you this Relation, which seemes soe -unlike truth, had I not my selfe beene an eye wittness, with my most -cunning observation of soe much of it, that I am confirmed in ye beleife -of the whole, all which is imputed to some diabollicall practices of one -Watson a strang kind of an Emperick, to whom shee was some tyme a Patient, -who had it seemes soe wrought with her as that shee had promis'd him -marriage, & to goe with him (though shee knew not whither,) But afterwards -refused it. Immediately upon which shee fell into these fitts, yet has -shee her respites, dureing which shee appeares reasonable well, & I have -heard her discourse very rationally of her selfe & condition, a full -account whereof would be too long to give; 'tis said that for these 4 or 5 -dayes past (in which tyme I have not seene her) somewhat appeares to her -in ye shape of a dogg. Now, whether shee be bewicht or whether shee be a -witch, or whether ye Divell be in her, (as well as some others of her -sex,) I know not, but that what I have told you seemed to ye most vigilant -eye to be infallibly true is not doubted, so that if it be not really soe, -I can onely say the Divell's in't, who you perhaps may fancy to be in him -that gives you this seemingly incredible Relation, which be pleased to -accept for better, for worse from," &c. - -[94] "Witchcraft further Displayed." London: Printed for E. Curl at the -Dial and Bible. 1714. - -[95] In the "Overseer's Accounts" for the parish of S. Giles, Northampton, -there is an item for the purchase of faggots for the purpose of burning a -witch. A.D. 1705. - -[96] "An Account of the Tryals, Examination, and Condemnation of Ellinor -Shaw & Mary Phillips (Two Notorious Witches) at Northampton Assizes on -Wednesday the 7th of March, 1705, for Bewitching a Woman & Two children, -Tormenting them in a Sad and Lamentable Manner till they Dyed. With an -account of their strange Confessions about their Familiarity with the -Devil, and How They Made a wicked Contract with him to be revenged on -several Persons, by Bewitching their Cattel to Death, &c. And several -other Strange and Amasing Particulars." London: Printed for F. Thorne, -near Fleete-street. - -[97] The following "Letter" from Mr. Ralph Davis, of Northampton, -addressed to Mr. William Simons, merchant in London, is reprinted almost -verbatim, certain passages, by reason of their extreme coarseness, being -alone suppressed. It was published by Thorne, of Fleet Street, in 1705, -and had a very large circulation. It is entitled "The Northamptonshire -Witches:"-- - -"According to my word Promise in my last I have sent you here Inclosed a -faithful Account of the Lives and Conversations of the two notorious -Witches that were Executed on the North side of our town on Saturday the -17th instant, and indeed considering the extraordinary Methods these -wicked women used to accomplish their Diabolical Art, I think it may merit -your Reception, and the more since I understand you have a friend near -Fleete Street who being a Printer may make use of it in order to oblige -the Publick; which take as followeth; viz:-- - -"To proceed in order, I shall first begin with Ellinor Shaw (as being the -most notorious of the two) who was Born at Cotterstock within a small Mile -of Oundle in Northamptonshire, of very obscure Parents, who not willing, -or at least not able, to give their Daughter any manner of Education, she -was left to shift for her self at the age of 14 years; at which time she -got acquainted with a Partener in Wickedness, one Mary Phillips, Born at -Oundle aforesaid, with whom she held a frindly Correspondence for several -years together, and work'd very hard for a Livelihood; but when she -arriv'd to the age of 21 she began to be a very lude [lewd] sort of a -Person ... which wicked and loathsom Actions were not only talked of in -the Town of Cotterstock where she was Born but at Oundle, Glapthorne, -Benefield, Southwick and several Parts adjacent; and that as well by -Children of four or five years of Age as persons of riper years; so that -by degrees her Name became so famous or rather infamous that she could -hardly peep out of her Door but the Children would point at her in a -Scoffing manner ... [so] that she Swore she would be revenged on her -enemies tho' she pawn'd her Soul for the Purchase; and then Mary Phillips -being her Partner in Knitting and Bedfellow also, who was as bad as -herself in the Vices aforesaid, she communicated her Thoughts to her, -relating to a Contract with the Devil, in order to have the Wills of those -who Slandered them.... In fine as these two Harlots agreed in their other -Wickedness so they were resolv'd to go Hand in Hand in this, and -consequently go to the Devil together for Company, but out of a Hellish -kind of Civility he saved them that Trouble at present, for ... he -immediately waited upon 'em to obtain his Booty on Saturday the 12th of -February 1704 about 12 a Clock at Night according to their own -Confessions, appearing in the shape of a black tall Man, at whose approach -they were very much startled at first, but taking Ellinor Shaw by the Hand -he spoke thus--Says he, Be not afraid, of me for I am one of the Creation -as well as your selves, having power given me to bestow it on whom I -please, and do assure you that if you will pawn your Souls to me for only -a Year and two Months I will for all that time assist you in whatever you -desire. Upon which he produced a little piece of Parchment on which by -their Consents having prick't their Fingers' ends, he wrote the Infernal -Covenants in their own Blood which they signed with their own Hands and -the same Night.... In the Morning he told them they were now as -substantial Witches as any were in the world, and that they had power by -the assistance of the Imps that he would send them to do what Mischief -they pleased. - -"I shall not trouble you with what is already mention'd in the Tryals of -these two persons because it is in print by your Friend already but only -instance what was omitted in that as not having room here to contain it -altogether but as to their general confessions after their Condemnations, -take as followeth:-- - -"The day before they were Executed, Mr. Danks the Minister visited them in -Prison, in order if possible to bring them to a State of Repentance, but -seeing all pious Discourse prov'd ineffectual, he desired them to tell him -what mischeivous Pranks they had Play'd and what private Conference they -had with the Devil from time to time, since they had made that fatal -Bargain with him: To which Ellinor Shaw with the Consent of the other told -him that the Devil in the Shape of a tall black Man appear'd several times -to them and at every visit would present them with new Imps some of a Red -Coulour others of a Dun and the third of a black Colour and that ... by -the Assistance of these Hellish Animals they often Kill'd Men Women and -Children to the great surprise of all the towns thereabouts; she further -adding that it was all the Delight they had to be doing such wicked -Actions and they had Kil'd by their Inchantments and Witchcraft in the -space of nine Months time 15 children eight Men and six Women tho' none -was suspected of being Bewitch'd but those two Children, said the Woman, -that they Dy'd for; and that they had Bewitch'd to Death in the same Space -of Time 40 Hoggs of several poor People, besides 100 Sheep, 18 Horses, and -30 Cows, even to the utter Ruin of several Families: As to their -particular Intreagues and waggish tricks I have not Room to enumerate, -they are so many; only some remarkable Feats they did in Prison which was -thus, viz:--one Day Mr. Laxon and his wife coming by the Prison had the -Curiosity to look through the Grates and seeing of Ellinor Shaw told her -that now the Devil had left her in the Lurch, as he had done the rest of -his Servants; upon which the said Ellinor was observ'd to Mutter strangely -to herself in an unknown Language for about two Minutes; at the end of -which Mr. Laxon's Wife's Cloathes were all turn'd over her head Smock and -all in a most strange manner ... notwithstanding all the Endeavours her -Husband could use to keep her Cloathes in order; at which the said Ellinor -having Laughed Heartily and told her She had prov'd her Lyer, her Cloathes -began to come to their right order again. The keeper of the Prison having -one Day Threatened them with Irons, they, by their Spells, caused him to -Dance almost an Hour Naked in the Yard to the Amazement of the Prison: -nay, such Pranks were Play'd by them during their Confinement that no one -durst give them an ill Word, insomuch that their Execution was the more -hastened in the regard of their frequent Disturbances and great Mischief -they did in several places of the Town notwithstanding their Imprisonment. - -"They were so hardened in their Wickedness that they Publickly boasted -that their Master (meaning the Devil) would not suffer them to be -Executed: but they found him [a] Lyer; for on Saturday Morning being the -17th instant they were carried to the Gallows on the Northside of the Town -whither numerous Crowds of people went to see them Die, and being come to -the place of Execution the Minister repeated his former pious endeavours -to bring them to a sense of their Sins but to as little purpose as before: -for instead of calling on God for Mercy nothing was heard from them but -D----g and Cursing. However a little before they were ty'd up; at the -request of the Minister, Ellinor Shaw confessed not only the Crime for -which she Dyed, but openly declared before them all how she first became a -Witch, as did also Mary Phillips; and being desired to say their Prayers -they both set up a very loud Laughter, calling for the Devil to come and -help them in such a Blasphemous manner as is not fit to Mention, so that -the Sherif seeing their presumptious Impenitence caused them to be -Executed with all the Expedition possible; even while they were Cursing -and raving; and as they liv'd the Devil's true Factors so they resolutely -Dyed in his service, to the Terror [of] all People who were eye-Witnesses -of their dreadful and amazing Exits. - -"So that being Hang'd till they were almost Dead the Fire was put to the -Straw, Faggots and other Combustable matter till they were Burnt to Ashes. -Thus Liv'd and thus Dyed two of the most notorious and presumptious -Witches that ever were known in this Age. - -"To conclude: I heartly wish that these wretched Women's Sad and -Lamentable Fates may be a warning to all Proud, Lustful and Malicious -Persons whatsoever, least they be brought Step by Step before they are -aware unto the Devil's Slaughterhouse of Confusion and Misery to all -Eternity. - -"I am promised a Copy of the Sermon that was Preached by Mr. Danks at the -Church of All Saint's the next day after the said Witches were Executed -(being Sunday) upon that very Occasion, which I hope to send you by the -next Post. - - "I am Sir, Your humble Servant, Ralph Davis." - -[98] "A Full and Impartiall account of the Discovery of Sorcery and -Witchcraft, practised by Jane Wenham," etc. London: 1712. - -[99] "Sadducismus Debellatus: or a True Narrative of the Sorceries and -Witchcraft exercised by the Devil and his Instruments upon Mrs. Christian -Shaw in the county of Renfrew, in the West of Scotland, from August 1696 -to April 1697, &c." Collected from the Records. London: Newman and Bell, -1698. - -[100] "Another Brand Plucked out of the Burning: or More Wonders of the -Invisible World." London: 1700. - -[101] "Saddvcismus Triumphatus," pp. 20-37. - -[102] Two remarkable works for and against what was termed "Judiciall -Astrologie," were published in the latter years of Queen Elizabeth's -reign. One, attacking the system, from the pen of John Chamber, Prebendary -of Windsor and Fellow of Eton College (London: John Harrison, Paternoster -Row, 4to., Lambeth Library, 78 F. 22); the other defending it, in reply to -the above, by Sir Christopher Heydon, Knt., printed at Cambridge, by John -Legat, printer to the University in 1603 (Lambeth Library, 78 F. 12). The -former is a treatise of very considerable vigour and power of reasoning: -the latter is somewhat laboured, eminently pedantic, overburdened with -tedious and irrelevant quotations, and altogether very inferior from a -literary point of view. - -[103] In almost all Heathen or Pagan countries, Witchcraft, Necromancy and -Sorcery are recognized and established institutions. - -[104] There was a notorious sorcerer and reputed necromancer in King James -the First's reign, a certain Dr. Lamb. In Baxter's "Certainty of the World -of Spirits" (A.D. 1691), he records a curious instance of Lamb's -miraculous performances. This sorcerer, meeting two of his acquaintances -in the street, they, expressing a wish to witness some example of his -spiritual skill, were invited to his house. There they were conducted to -an inner room, where to their intense surprise they saw a growing-tree -spring up slowly in the middle of the room. [It may be here remarked that -the Oriental jugglers and sorcerers work a similar manifestation of their -powers, often witnessed and frequently described.--Editor.] In a moment, -as this record informs us, there appeared three diminutive men, who with -little axes felled the tree; and then the doctor dismissed his guests, who -had been duly impressed by his powers. On that very night, however, a -tremendous hurricane arose, causing the house of one of the guests to rock -from side to side, with every probability that the house would fall, and -bury him and his wife in its ruins. The wife in an agony of fear inquired, -"Were you not at Dr. Lamb's to-day?" The husband admitted that it was true -that he had been. "And did you not bring something away from his house?" -The husband confessed that he had done so. When the little men were -felling the tree, he had picked up some of the chips and put them into his -pocket. Nothing, therefore, as his wife pointed out, remained to be done -but to produce these chips, and get rid of them as fast as possible. When -this was done, the tempest ceased, and the rest of the night was perfectly -calm. It may be added that this sorcerer became so odious, because of his -necromancy and other infernal practices, that in 1640 the populace rose -upon him and tore him to pieces in the streets; while, thirteen years -afterwards, a woman who had been in his service was apprehended upon a -charge of Witchcraft, was tried on what seems to have been very strong and -conclusive evidence, found guilty, and in expiation of her crime was -executed at Tyburn. [The contemporary literature extant, relating to this -case of Lamb and his servant, would fill a large volume.--Editor.] - -[105] These persons are reported and reputed to be professional mediums, -and are said to be very largely patronized by people of all ranks and -classes, more especially the higher. - -[106] "Report on Spiritualism." Examination of the Master of Lindsay, p. -215. London: Longman, 1871. - -[107] Genesis iii. 1; Revelation xii. 9; Ibid. xx. 2. - -[108] The Editor, while avoiding the reproduction of examples which are -tolerably well known, has generally aimed at setting forth cases which -have not yet been put into print; though in some records which follow, a -few have been selected which have already been published, in order that -one example, at least, of all the particular kinds of warning and dreams, -may be here presented to the reader. - -[109] Genesis xx. 3; Ibid. xxxi. 11, and (to Laban) ver. 31. As to -Pharaoh's dream of a coming famine, see Genesis xli. - -[110] Numbers xii. 6; 1 Kings iii. 5-15; Daniel vii. to the end of the -book. S. Matthew, 1-20; Ibid. ii. 12 (as to S. Joseph), ver. 13. and -verses 19 and 20; Ibid, xxvii. 19. - -[111] Two valued correspondents respectively write as follows:--"One could -relate many such family incidents as you suggest, but everyone shrinks -from allowing them to be verified by name. I imagine that this reticence -arises from the natural dread and dislike to having what is sacred to -one's own faith and feelings submitted to the ridicule of sceptical and -rationalistic minds." - -Another:--"I send you the enclosed--a record of the supernatural -appearance which is always seen immediately prior to the death of the head -of our family. But I do not wish it printed; and absolutely forbid the -mention either of place or person, lest it should be identified, which -might cause annoyance to our friends." - -[112] De Anima, c. 45-47. - -[113] Ibid. - -[114] De Opificio Dei, sæc. xviii. - -[115] Epist. Sti. Cypriani, lxiii. - -[116] Epist. Sti. Basilii, cxx. - -[117] Opera Thom. Aquin., Tom. ii., Quæst. xcv., Art. vi.: Tom. iii., -Quæst. lxxx., Art. vii. - -[118] "The Philosophy of Sleep." By Macknish. - -[119] The Rev. George R. Winter, M.A., Vicar of Swaffham and Rural Dean, -thus most obligingly writes to the Editor (A.D. 1874):--"The story of the -Dream is popularly believed, and there was a good foundation for it. In -the upper portion of the windows of the north aisle is some old painted -glass, which is supposed to represent the man and his family; but the -chief monument of his identity is a piece of old carving representing a -pedlar with a pack on his back, and also his dog, forming part of the -westernmost stalls of the choir. This, I believe, was at one time in the -north aisle, which the man is supposed to have built." The dream is -related at length in Blomfield's "History of Norfolk." - -[120] The above was written at Alton Towers, Cheadle, on the 23rd of -October, 1842, and duly signed by Mr. William Talbot, a relation of John, -Earl of Shrewsbury. - -[121] "The account here given of the Dream which occurred in Cornwall, is, -as I personally testify, true and accurate. (Signed) Rachel L. Lee -(daughter of the late Benjamin Tucker, of Trematon Castle, Esquire, and -daughter-in-law of the late Rev. T. T. Lee, Vicar of Thame), Kentons, near -Henley-on-Thames, May 14th, 1873." - -[122] A friend who provided the above example writes to the Editor:--"I -knew the family, and the circumstance of Mr. Perring's singular dream; and -can certainly testify to its truth." - -[123] From a Letter dated Nov. 1, 1872, in the handwriting of the Widow of -the Clergyman in question, kindly communicated to the Editor by the Rev. -Theodore J. Morris, Vicar of Hampton in Arden, near Birmingham. - -[124] The following document was drawn up about thirteen years ago, and -given to the Editor with the above account by an Oxford friend:-- - -"This is to certify that in 1840 I dreamt the Dream about the strange man -coming to the front door and forcing himself in; and that seven years -afterwards, that is in 1847, what I had seen in my dream occurred in -London, when, having heard knocks at the door when I was alone in the -house, I saw the man outside the door whom I had seen in my dream seven -years before. - - "Hannah Green. - -"Wootton, Oxfordshire, August 5, 1861." - -[125] "Notes and Queries," Sept. 24, 1853. - -[126] "I have carefully read the account which you have so nicely written -out from my own and my brother's Letters; and have also twice read the -same to my mother and brother. Both join with me in testifying to its -absolute truth and perfect accuracy. Our account was taken down from the -lips of the Rector of ---- himself. We, indeed, have reason to believe in -the Supernatural." - -[127] The Rector of Phillack and Gwithian, near Hayle in Cornwall, is the -Rev. Frederick Hockin, M.A. and Rural Dean. - -[128] He is described as "Wilfred D. Speer, Esq., of West End Lodge, -Thames Ditton, a magistrate for the County of Surrey, and a captain in the -Militia of that county." - -[129] "Statement of the Circumstances attending the Death of Wilfred D. -Speer, Esq., with copies of Testimony and Correspondence." London, -Ontario: John Cameron, Dundas Street, West, 8vo. pp. 12, 1867. - -[130] "If my dream come true, I am certainly approaching my latter end, -and have only a little time longer in this world." Attested copy of -Captain Wilfred Speer's Letter, given to the Editor by the Rev. John -Richardson, of Warwick. - -[131] He was shot dead on the night of the 17th of June, 1867, on board a -steamboat on the Missouri. - -[132] The following Letter has been received by the Editor from the -dignitary in question:--"Nov. 6, 1874. Rev. and dear Sir, I only wish that -my name should not be published. The statement, as written out by me, is -entirely at your service.... To the Rev. Dr. Lee." - -[133] It seems that as a matter of fact there is no tunnel near the scene -of the accident, but a long, level line of railway, very near the margin -of the sea. At least so a correspondent who knows the locality well has -informed me.--Editor. - -[134] "Having made enquiries regarding the fact of Tinley's remarkable -dream, which seemed to foreshadow his death by the well-known accident, I -can testify to the truth that he had such a dream, and that he regarded it -as a sign of coming death. - - "A. Rutherford, Wolverhampton. - -"July 14, 1874." - -[135] Sir Roger Tichborne, Knt. of Tichborne, flourished in the reign of -Henry II. He married Mabella, daughter and sole heiress of Ralph de -Lamerston, in the Isle of Wight. - -[136] Sir Henry Tichborne, born in 1756, married in 1778 Elizabeth -Plowden, and had seven sons, viz. 1. Henry, 2. Benjamin, 3. Edward, 4. -James, 5. John, 6. George, and 7. Roger. His eldest son Henry, who married -Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Burke, had seven daughters, viz. 1. Eliza, 2. -Frances, 3. Julia, 4. Mary, 5. Katherine, 6. Lucy, and 7. Emily. - -[137] "Staffordshire Chronicle," July, 1835. - -[138] Lysons in his "Magna Britannia," vol. vi. describing the parish of -South Tawton, about five miles from Okehampton, co. Devon, -says:--"Oxenham, in this parish, gave name to an ancient family who -possessed it, at least from the time of Henry III. to the death of William -Long Oxenham, Esq., in 1814." The mansion, as the Editor learns, has long -been occupied as a farm-house. It may here be added that it is believed -that Drake's friend, Captain John Oxenham, who lost his life in an -engagement with the Spaniards in South America (A.D. 1575), was a member -of this family. Mr. Canon Kingsley, in "Westward-Ho," has introduced the -omen of a Bird with a white breast in connection with this gentleman. - -[139] "A True relation of an Apparition in the likeness of a Bird with a -White Breast, that appeared hovering over the deathbeds of some of the -children of Mr. James Oxenham, of Sale Monachorum, Devon, Gent. Confirmed -by Sundry witnesses. London, printed by I. O. for Richard Clutterbuck, and -are to be sold at the figure of the Gun in little Britain, near St. -Botolph's church. 1641." British Museum, Press-Mark E. 205-9. - -A copy of this pamphlet is also to be found amongst Gough's collection in -the Bodleian. The British Museum copy contains a curious and very -effective engraving, representing the actual appearance of the Bird to a -person dying in bed. - -[140] It is also stated in this pamphlet that the clergyman of the parish -had been appointed by the bishop of the diocese to inquire into the truth -of these particulars, and that a monument had been put up with his -approbation with the names of the witnesses of each apparition of the -Bird. The pamphlet states that those who had been sick and had recovered, -never saw the apparition. It further came out in the evidence tendered, -that the same Bird had appeared to Grace, the grandmother of John Oxenham, -who died in 1618. - -[141] Lysons states that these monumental inscriptions _do not now_ exist -either in the church or churchyard of Tawton or Sale Monachorum. But, -considering the shameful destruction of monuments in late years by -so-called "Church Restorers," this is not to be wondered at. - -[142] It has been shrewdly and perhaps not untruly observed, that "a -genuine and solemn citation may tend to work its own fulfilment in certain -minds, who, by allowing the thing to prey upon their spirits, enfeeble the -powers of life, and perhaps at the critical date arouse some latent or -dormant disease into deadly action." - -[143] The following is from a MS. note of a member of the Editor's -family--George Henry Lee, Lord Litchfield, who was Chancellor of the -University of Oxford in the latter part of the last century. Lord -Rochester, it should be added, was allied to that family through his -mother, Anne, Countess of Rochester, previously the widow of Sir F. H. -Lee:-- - -"Lord Rochester told me of an odd presage that one had of his approaching -death in the Lady Warre his mother-in-law's house. The chaplain had dreamt -that such a day he should die, but being by all the family put out of the -belief of it, he had almost forgot it till the evening before at supper, -there being thirteen at table, according to a fond conceit that one of -these must soon die, one of the young ladies pointed to him that he was to -die. He, remembering his dream, fell into some disorder; and the Lady -Warre reproving him for his superstition, he said he was confident he was -to die before morning; but he being in perfect health, it was not much -minded. It was Saturday night, and he was to preach the next day. He went -to his chamber, sat up late, (as appeared by the burning of his candle,) -and he had been preparing his notes for his sermon, but he was found dead -in his bed next morning. These things he said made him inclined to believe -[that] the soul was a substance distinct from matter, and this often -returned into his thoughts." - -[144] The Registrar-General in his last Report writes thus:--"Seamen will -not sail, women will not wed on a Friday so willingly as on other days of -the week. It has been ascertained that out of 4,057 marriages which took -place during a certain period in the midland district of England, not two -per cent. were celebrated on a Friday, while thirty-two per cent. were -entered as having taken place on a Sunday." - -[145] Jerome Cardan, the strange sixteenth-century physician, who dealt so -extensively in horoscopes, and is said to have sought the assistance of -spirits, professed to own and exercise some specific and supernatural -gifts:--1. The power of throwing his spirit out of his body, by which he -could see things at a distance. 2. _His faculty of Second Sight, or of -seeing whatever he pleased with his eyes, "Oculis, non vi mentis."_ 3. His -dreams, which, as he maintained, uniformly foretold to him what was about -to occur, and by which he truly predicted the day of his own death, and 4. -his "unerring astrological knowledge." - -[146] "Miscellanies, collected by J. Aubrey, Esq." London: printed for -Edward Castle, 1696. - -[147] "A Treatise on the Second Sight, Dreams, and Apparitions," by -Theophilus Insulanus. Dedicated "To the Honourable Sir Harry Monro, of -Foulis, Baronet." Pp. 107-108. Edinburgh: 1763. - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - -The General Index was not a part of the original text. It has been copied -from Volume II of the series. - -Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_. - -The original text contains letters with diacritical marks that are not -represented in this text version. - -The original text includes Greek characters that have been replaced with -transliterations in this text version. - -The original text includes various symbols that are represented as -[Description] in this text version. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Other World; or, Glimpses of the -Supernatural (Vol. I of II), by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OTHER WORLD, VOL I *** - -***** This file should be named 43345-8.txt or 43345-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/3/4/43345/ - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Other World; or, Glimpses of the Supernatural (Vol. I of II) - Being Facts, Records, and Traditions Relating to Dreams, - Omens, Miraculous Occurrences, Apparitions, Wraiths, - Warnings, Second-sight, Witchcraft, Necromancy, etc. - -Author: Various - -Editor: Frederick George Lee - -Release Date: July 29, 2013 [EBook #43345] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OTHER WORLD, VOL I *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43345 ***</div> <p class="figcenter"><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="" /></p> @@ -8213,385 +8169,7 @@ Foulis, Baronet.†Pp. 107-108. Edinburgh: 1763.</p> <p>The General Index was not a part of the original text. It has been copied from Volume II of the series.</p> - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Other World; or, Glimpses of the -Supernatural (Vol. I of II), by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OTHER WORLD, VOL I *** - -***** This file should be named 43345-h.htm or 43345-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/3/4/43345/ - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Other World; or, Glimpses of the Supernatural (Vol. I of II) - Being Facts, Records, and Traditions Relating to Dreams, - Omens, Miraculous Occurrences, Apparitions, Wraiths, - Warnings, Second-sight, Witchcraft, Necromancy, etc. - -Author: Various - -Editor: Frederick George Lee - -Release Date: July 29, 2013 [EBook #43345] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OTHER WORLD, VOL I *** - - - - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - - -GLIMPSES OF THE SUPERNATURAL. - - - - - The Other World; - - OR, GLIMPSES OF THE SUPERNATURAL. - - BEING FACTS, RECORDS, AND TRADITIONS - - - RELATING TO DREAMS, OMENS, MIRACULOUS OCCURRENCES, - APPARITIONS, WRAITHS, WARNINGS, SECOND-SIGHT, - WITCHCRAFT, NECROMANCY, ETC. - - - EDITED BY - THE REV. FREDERICK GEORGE LEE, D.C.L. - _Vicar of All Saints', Lambeth._ - - - IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. - - - HENRY S. KING AND CO., LONDON. - 1875. - - - - -(_All rights reserved._) - - - - - TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE - AUGUSTA, - COUNTESS OF STRADBROKE, - OF HENHAM HALL, IN THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, - THESE VOLUMES - ARE, - BY HER LADYSHIP'S KIND PERMISSION, - VERY RESPECTFULLY - Dedicated. - - - - -"It is often asked--Do you believe in Prophecies and Miracles? Yes and no, -one may answer; that depends. In general, yes; doubtless we believe in -them, and are not of the number of those who 'pique themselves,' as -Fenelon said, 'on rejecting as fables, without examination, all the -wonders that God works.' But if you come to the particular, and say--Do -you believe in such a revelation, such an apparition, such a cure?--here -it is that it behoves us not to forget the rules of Christian prudence, -nor the warnings of Holy Writ, nor the teaching of Theologians and Saints, -nor, finally, the decrees of Councils, and the motives of those decrees. -Has the proper Authority spoken? If it has spoken, let us bow with all the -respect due to grave and mature ecclesiastical judgments, even where they -are not clothed with infallible authority; if it has not spoken, let us -not be of those who reject everything in a partizan spirit, and want to -impose this unbelief upon everybody; nor of those who admit everything -lightly, and want alike to impose their belief; let us be careful in -discussing a particular fact, not to reject the very principle of the -Supernatural, but neither let us shut our eyes to the evidence of -testimony; let us be prudent, even to the most careful scrutiny--the -subject-matter requires it, the Scriptures recommend it--but let us not be -sceptics; let us be sincere, but not fanatical: that is the true mean. And -let us not forget that most often the safest way in these matters is not -to hurry one's judgment, not to decide sharply and affirm absolutely--in a -word, not to anticipate, in one sense or the other, the judgment of those -whose place and mission it is to examine herein; but to await, in the -simplicity of faith and of Christian wisdom, a decision which marks out a -wise rule, although not always with absolute certainty."--Dupanloup, -Bishop of Orleans, "On Contemporary Prophecies." - - - - -PREFACE. - - -These volumes have been compiled from the standing-point of a hearty and -reverent believer in Historical Christianity. No one can be more fully -aware of their imperfections and incompleteness than the Editor; for the -subjects under consideration occupy such a broad field, that their -treatment at greater length would have largely increased the bulk of the -volumes, and indefinitely postponed their publication. - -The facts and records set forth (and throughout, the Editor has dealt with -facts, rather than with theories) have been gathered from time to time -during the past twenty years, as well from ordinary historical narrations -as from the personal information of several friends and acquaintances -interested in the subject-matter of the book. The materials thus brought -together from so many quarters have been carefully sifted, and those only -made use of as would best assist in the arranged method of the volume, and -suffice for its suitable illustration. - -The Editor regrets that, in the publication of so many recent examples of -the Supernatural (about fifty), set forth for the first time in the -following pages, the names of the persons to whom those examples occurred, -and in some cases those likewise who supplied him with them, are withheld. - -The truth is, there is such a sensitive dislike of publicity and of rude -criticism consequent upon publicity, that very many persons shrink from -the ordeal. However, it may be sufficient to state that the Editor holds -himself personally responsible for all those here recorded, which are not -either details of received History, or formally authenticated by the names -and addresses of those who have supplied him with them. - -Many examples of the Supernatural in modern times and in the present day -are here published for the first time, in an authoritative and complete -form. - -By the kind courtesy of Lord Lyttelton, the family records of a remarkable -apparition, which is said to have been seen by his noble ancestor, were -placed at the Editor's disposal, and, by his Lordship's permission, are in -the following pages now first set forth in detail and at length. - -The Editor is also indebted to the following, either for obliging replies -to his inquiries, or for information which has been embodied in the -succeeding pages:--The late Lady Brougham, the late Rev. W. -Hastings-Kelke, of Drayton Beauchamp; A. L. M. P. de Lisle, Esq., of -Garendon Park; the Very Rev. A. Weld, S.J.; the Right Rev. Monsignor -Patterson, D.D., of S. Edmund's College, Ware; the Rev. J. Jefferson, -M.A., of North Stainley Vicarage, near Ripon; the Very Rev. E. J. -Purbrick, S.J., of Stonyhurst College; the Rev. John Richardson, B.A., of -Warwick; Henry Cope Caulfeild, Esq., M.A., of Clone House, S. Leonard's; -the Rev. Theodore J. Morris; Mrs. George Lee; the Rev. H. N. Oxenham, -M.A.; Miss S. F. Caulfeild; Dominick Browne, Esq. (Dytchley); Captain -Lowrie, of York; Mr. C. J. Sneath, of Birmingham; and many others. - -If there be anything set forth in this volume, in ignorance or -misconception, contradictory to the general teaching of the Universal -Church, the Editor puts on record here his regret for having penned it, -and his desire altogether to withdraw such error. - -F. G. L. - - All Saints' Vicarage, - York Road, Lambeth. - - - - -CONTENTS OF VOL. I. - - - Page - - CHAPTER I. - - INTRODUCTORY.--Materialism of the present age 1 - - CHAPTER II. - - The Miraculous in Church History 21 - - CHAPTER III. - - Spiritual Powers and Properties of the Church.-- - Sacraments.--Sacramentals.--Exorcism 51 - - CHAPTER IV. - - Witchcraft and Necromancy 149 - - CHAPTER V. - - Dreams, Omens, Warnings, Presentiments, and Second Sight 207 - - - - -MATERIALISM OF THE PRESENT AGE. - - -"In some sense of the Supernatural, in some faith in the Unseen, in some -feeling that man is not of this World, in some grasp on the Eternal God, -and on an eternal supernatural and supersensuous life, lies the basis of -all pity and mercy, all help, and comfort, and patience, and sympathy -among men. Set these aside, commit us only to the Natural, to what our -eyes see and our hands handle, and, while we may organize Society -scientifically, and live according to 'the laws of Nature,' and be very -philosophical and very liberal, we are standing on the ground on which -every savage tribe stands, or indeed on which every pack of wolves -gallops." - - - - -GLIMPSES OF THE SUPERNATURAL. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -INTRODUCTORY.--MATERIALISM OF THE PRESENT AGE. - - -To any sincere and hearty believer in Historical Christianity the advance -of Materialism and the consequent denial of the Supernatural must be the -cause both of alarm and sadness. The few lead, the many follow; and it is -frequently the case that conclusions contrarient to the idea of the -Supernatural are arrived at, after a course of reasoning, which -conclusions appear to many wholly unjustified, either by the premisses -adopted, or from the argument that has ensued. - -It has been stated, in a serial of some ability,[1] that the final issue -of the present conflict between so that things are necessarily different -to what they would have been if he had not thus acted, and no disturbance -nor dislocation of the system around him ensues as a consequence of such -action, surely He Who contrived the system in question can subsequently -interpose both in the natural and spiritual order of the world. For to -deny this possibility is obviously to place God on a lower level than man; -in other words, to make the Creator of all things weaker and less free -than His own creatures. - -Now, to go a step further, all human efforts to find out God have been the -result of the combination of ideas gleaned from human experience. These -ideas have often enough been grotesque, fanciful, and distorted--a -judgment which will be admitted to be accurate by all Christian people; -whether the gross conceptions of Pagan mythology or the nebulous -speculations of modern "thinkers" are brought under consideration. That -man, the created, cannot understand God the Creator--that the thing made -cannot compass the Maker--is not only perfectly certain, but necessary. -The being of God cannot be grasped by a finite intellect; nor can such an -intellect conceive the mode of an existence absolutely and utterly removed -from created conditions. Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent: we -cannot attain unto it.[2] - -But though it may be, and is, utterly impossible to conceive Almighty -God, it is anything but impossible to conceive the fact and reality of His -being. For, as is well known, the general thought and conscience of -mankind have believed in a God, _semper et ubique_, everywhere and at all -times. Thus a thing may exist, and its existence may be perfectly patent -to the understanding; and furthermore its existence may be worthy of -implicit belief; while, at the same time, the thing itself may be found to -transcend and overpass the limited powers of man's intellect. Take, for -example, the ideas conveyed by the terms "eternal"[3] and "infinite." Who -can comprehend them? Who can explain them? Ordinary popular conceptions -make them mere indefinite extensions of duration and space; yet these -conceptions need not and do not appear absurd, but, on the contrary, -enable ideas, at once definite, distinct, and recognizable, to be conveyed -from man to man. - -Thus, by a simple process of thought, we may see for ourselves the place -and propriety of a Revelation, and appreciate the truth of the -Supernatural. Here, in the province of a Revelation, not man's conception -of God, but God Himself is set forth. Not so unlike ourselves is He that -we find Him, with will, actions, and purposes, unintelligible; but, using -analogies gathered and systematized by experience, we learn, at the same -time, that our Creator is beyond the range both of thought and -language--never to be fully known, until, with divinely-illuminated -faculties in a higher state, we see Him face to face. - -And when we have attained to this point in our course of thought, the -first leading fact of God's revelation meets us. Here it is: "There is but -one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of -infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker and Preserver of all -things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be -three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: the Father, the Son, -and the Holy Ghost."[4] - -Now in this revelation, given in its fullness by the Eternal Word, and -bequeathed to the Christian Church, to be preserved and handed down for -future generations, all is Supernatural. That body of doctrine which -Christians believe, divinely guarded by the Church, was announced -beforehand, centuries ere it was actually delivered, by a wisdom above -nature--the divine light of prophecy. When it was set forth by the Eternal -Word, its truth was attested in the face of a hostile people by a power -above nature, whose word Creation obeyed, as in regularity, so in marked -and palpable change. This body of doctrine or gospel put forth a -supernatural power in the strange rapidity and manifest success with which -it subdued hearts to itself. Ancient Rome owned the Crucified as a Monarch -conquering and to conquer. His Revelation, of the truth of which there -shall be witnesses unto the end, is above nature, in that it alone -provides adequate remedies for the manifold infirmities of the human race. -The life it produces here is supernatural, as are also the means by which -that life is created, and the efficient gifts by which it is being -constantly renewed. Supernatural, too, is the work of the Holy Ghost, -wrought out by human agents and human instrumentality; changing, -sanctifying, illuminating; shadowing forth by its action the reunion of -earth with heaven, of man with God, only to be completed and made perfect -in the life to come. - -Now the purport of this volume is to show by examples of supernatural -intervention--examples many of which have been gathered from quite recent -periods--that Almighty God, from time to time, in various ways and by -different human instruments, still condescendingly reveals to man glimpses -of the world unseen, and shows the existence of that life beyond the -grave, in which the sceptic and materialist of the present restless age -would have us disbelieve, and which they themselves scornfully reject. - -From the sure and solid standing-point of Historical Christianity, -believing Holy Scripture to be the Word of God, and the Christian Church -to be the divinely-formed corporation for instructing, guiding, and -illuminating mankind, remarkable examples of the Supernatural, miracles, -spectral appearances of departed spirits, providential warnings by dreams -and otherwise, the intervention and ministry of good angels, the assaults -of bad, the certain power and efficacy of the gifts of Holy Church, the -sanctity of consecrated places, and the persevering malignity of the devil -and his legions, are gathered together, and set forth in the pages to -follow. For it may reasonably be believed that, as Almighty God has -graciously vouchsafed to intervene in the affairs of mankind in ages long -past, so there has never been a period in which such merciful intervention -has not from time to time taken place. Granted that in the days of Moses -and Aaron, and of Elijah and Elisha, man owned miraculous powers, and -wrought wonders by the gift of God; granted that in dreams and visions the -will of the Most High was sometimes made known to favoured individuals of -the Jewish Dispensation; remembering the miracles of our Lord's apostles -and disciples, and bearing in mind the divine and supernatural powers -which were first entrusted to, and have been ever since exercised by, the -Catholic Church, it is at once unreasonable and unphilosophical to deny -the existence in the world of the supernatural and miraculous. As will be -abundantly set forth, their presence and energy are in perfect accord and -harmony with the universal experience of mankind. Sceptics may contemn and -object, materialists may scoff; but numerous facts as well as a very -general sentiment are against their conclusions and convictions. - -Floating straws show the direction and force of a current. As an example -of the lengths to which an adoption of the materialistic principle will -lead some persons, who regard themselves as "philosophers," and as a -specimen of the dangers which threaten us, it may be well to refer briefly -to the proposal which has recently been formally and publicly made, viz., -that in certain cases of hopeless disease or imbecile old age, physicians -should be legally authorized to put an end to such patients by poison. - -Thus, when the head of a family becomes old or borders on childishness, -the son, by going through the proposed legal formality, may stand by and -witness the poisoning of his father, and so enter on the possession of his -property. When a mother becomes old, the daughter may assist in a similar -manner at her mother's death. A crippled child, a weak-minded relation, an -infirm member of the family, according to the "philosophers," should have -a poisonous drug efficiently administered; that so the weak, crippled, or -imbecile might be murdered and put out of the way. Thus these -philosopher-fanatics assure us that "the natural law of the preservation -of the fittest," propounded by them, will come into active and unchecked -operation. Having warned us that the penalty we endure for ignoring this -"law" is a population largely composed of weak, unhealthy, poor and -suffering people, they now earnestly recommend a "scientific method," by -which the lame, the blind, the weak, and the imbecile should be cleared -off from the stage of life.[5] "Natural selection," would, unchecked and -never opposed, have preserved alive only the best and noblest types; and -as, they tell us in their infallible wisdom, this principle or law has -developed us so far from the mollusk to the man, it might by this time, -had it been carefully and faithfully applied, have developed us, if not -into angels, at least into nineteenth-century savages of great muscular -power. This is the odious message to mankind which naturalistic -Materialism announces. And if we confine ourselves to what is sometimes -called "science"--that is, exclusive knowledge of things material--such a -conclusion as that arrived at, and such degrading principles as those -propounded for acceptance and practice, may not be altogether -unreasonable.[6] In this kind of "science" there is little else but -coldness, cruelty, and savagery. Only the strong have a right to live. The -weak were born to have their life trampled out, and, according to this -newly-revived theory, the sooner it is done the better. The murder of the -lame, the halt, and the blind, therefore, becomes thoroughly scientific, -and follows as a matter of course. Its practice is based upon laws which -the materialists have been for some time proclaiming to be "supreme." If -there be no supernatural basis of life, if the supernatural have no real -existence, if man be of the earth earthy, if he be only an outgrowth of -the dumb forces of matter (the first article of the creed of these -"philosophers"), if he be governed solely and altogether, absolutely and -completely by an inexorable material law (the highest and the only law, -as they would have us believe), then, of course, their conclusion -inevitably follows--that it is both merciful and wise to put a man out of -his misery when he becomes a burden both to himself and his friends. There -is no place in the lofty and elevating system of Naturalism for a being -who cannot take care of himself. - -Again: while Scepticism is rampant, and some are endeavouring to bring -back the Pagan notions of ancient nations, to galvanize into new life the -corrupt imbecilities of the past, men of science are making assertions and -assumptions of the boldest, if not of the wildest nature. One such -recently maintained the following proposition:--"Taking our earth, we -_know_ that millions of years have passed since she began to be peopled." -Now, the maintainer of this assertion notoriously holds some peculiar -theories about the means by which the solar system (and consequently other -systems) was made, or rather grew. These theories, in some of their -details, are or may be founded upon certain more or less well-ascertained -facts. But when he uses the term "know," we are bold to point out that -such an assertion rests on mere assumption.[7] We need facts,--facts -which could stand the careful investigation of persons skilled in taking -and measuring evidence; and secondly, we require to be reasonably -convinced that no other possible explanation of a difficulty be -forthcoming, except that on which his assumption is founded and his -inevitable conclusion (as he regards it) deduced. But how often with -scientific people the phrase "We know" stands for "This is our theory," or -rather "This is our _present_ theory;" for scientific theories change very -frequently; and points which have been most dogmatically laid down at one -period have been with equal dogmatism condemned and repudiated at another, -by those who apparently strain every nerve and exercise every gift -bestowed upon them, to deny and cast out the Supernatural from amongst -mankind. - -From the introduction to a volume of great interest ("The Maxims and -Examples of the Saints"), the following extract is taken, both because of -its inherent truth, and also because the Christian instinct in defence of -the Supernatural is so prominently and forcibly expressed in every line. -Mr. de Lisle's words stand thus:-- - -"In these days of shallowness and scepticism, men pride themselves on -calling everything into question, as if they proved their claim to wisdom -according to the measure of their unbelief. But those who dive a little -deeper into things will not be so ready to admit the claims of modern -insolent writers. They will find that our ancestors had heads as sound, -judgments as cool and unprejudiced, at least, as any of these moderns; and -the more they examine, the more reasons will they find for attaching -weight to their testimony. In my intercourse abroad with divers holy -priests and religious monks, I have seen and heard enough to convince me -that many things take place in this world of a supernatural order. Nor do -I believe there ever has been a period in the history of the Church, when -our Lord has not borne testimony to her divine truth, and to the admirable -sanctity of many of her children, by evident and glorious miracles. This -is the faith of the Church; and who shall gainsay the teaching of that -society that carries with it the experience of eighteen centuries, the -immutable promises of God, the attestations of innumerable martyrs, and -the consent of nations? To him who believes the words of the holy Gospel, -'The works that I do shall they do also, and greater than these,' &c. -(speak not now to the unbeliever), the conclusion will be clear, and -humble faith will bow with submission. Keeping this promise in view, the -Christian will not find it difficult to believe even the most wonderful -histories in the lives of the Saints; at all events, his spirit will not -be that which loves to question everything, still less that which treats -the testimony of devout writers with levity or scorn. To the humble -observer of the ways of Divine Providence, enough occurs every day to -prepare him for any manifestation of the Power of God: not to say that -there is not a state in Christendom in which, even in our own times, many -wonderful miracles have not taken place. Witness the glorious appearance -of a vast cross of fire in the heavens at Migne, near Poictiers in France, -in the year 1826, in the month of December, an event which was attested on -oath before the bishop of the diocese by several thousand -eye-witnesses.[8] Josephus relates the prodigies that appeared in the -heavens before the downfall of Jerusalem: and who shall say that this -sublime apparition in France did not portend the approaching calamities -that have since fallen upon that kingdom and upon Europe? In the years -1830 and 1831, blood miraculously flowed from the arms of S. Nicholas, at -Tolentino in Italy, and the circumstance was solemnly attested by the -bishop, the clergy, and the magistrates of that city. History records -similar prodigies to have taken place at Tolentino whenever any calamities -were about to befall Christendom. S. Nicholas has been dead above 500 -years. I myself had the consolation to visit his shrine; and I heard from -several individuals, with tears in their eyes, the affecting recital of -the miracle. Who does not call to mind the wonderful manifestations of -God's power at Rome and at Ancona during the period of the French -Revolution, in the year 1792? Innumerable images of our Blessed Redeemer, -and of his Virgin Mother, were seen to move their eyes, and some even to -weep. Nor were these events seen only by a few, they were beheld and -attested by thousands.[9] The miracles that God has performed by means of -the holy Prince Hohenlohe are known to all, and some of them have been -wrought even in England. These are facts so notorious, that no one can -call them in question; nor is it in the power of profane ridicule to throw -doubt over their authenticity. At the same time, it will always be true -that the Catholic Church does not oblige her children to believe any -miracles but those recorded in the sacred Scriptures; she leaves it to -the discretion of each individual to ground his conviction on the -evidence which has come before him; though it would not be an act of -piety, or worthy of praise for anyone to speak lightly of such miracles as -have been honoured by the approbation of the Holy See." - - * * * * * - -As a mark of rapid theological decline, it may here be put on record, that -a recent writer, the author of "Supernatural Religion: an Inquiry into the -Reality of Divine Revelation" (Longman: 1874), sets forth his "views" (not -his "opinion," least of all his faith, but his "views") as follows:-- - -"The importance which has been attached to theology by the Christian -Church, almost from its foundation, has been subversive of Christian -morality. _In surrendering its miraculous element and its claims to -supernatural origin, therefore, the religion of Jesus does not lose its -virtue, or the qualities which have made it a blessing to humanity._ It -sacrifices none of that elevated character which has distinguished and -raised it above all human systems: _it merely relinquishes a claim which -it has shared with all antecedent religions, and severs its connection -with ignorant superstition_. It is too divine in its morality to require -the aid of miraculous attributes. No supernatural halo can heighten its -spiritual beauty, and no mysticism deepen its holiness. In its perfect -simplicity it is sublime, and in its profound wisdom it is eternal. - -"_We gain infinitely more than we lose in abandoning belief in the reality -of Divine revelation._ Whilst we retain pure and unimpaired the treasure -of Christian morality, we relinquish nothing but the debasing elements -added to it by human superstition. _We are no longer bound to believe a -theology which outrages reason and moral sense._ We are freed from base -anthropomorphic views of God and His government of the universe; and from -Jewish theology we rise to higher conceptions of an infinitely wise and -beneficent Being, hidden from our finite minds, it is true, in the -impenetrable glory of Divinity, but whose laws of wondrous -comprehensiveness and perfection we ever perceive in operation around us. -_We are no longer disturbed by visions of fitful interference with the -order of Nature_, but we recognize that the Being who regulates the -universe is without variableness or shadow of turning. It is singular how -little there is in the supposed revelation of alleged information, however -incredible, regarding that which is beyond the limits of human thought; -but that little is of a character which reason declares to be the 'wildest -delusion.' Let no man, whose belief in the reality of Divine Revelation -may be destroyed by such inquiry, complain that he has lost a precious -possession, and that nothing is left but a blank. _The revelation not -being a reality_, that which he has lost was but an illusion, and that -which is left is the truth." - -In another volume recently written by Mr. Congreve, the Positivist, the -author maintains in the plainest possible language, what is the immediate -and practical object of the small sect to which he has allied -himself:--"The professed servants of Humanity must lead in the struggle to -eliminate God; and that this is the essential element in the whole -existing perplexity is forcing itself upon all." Again, man's duty is said -to be "openly and avowedly to take service in one or the other of the -opposing camps; to bring face to face the two beliefs; the belief in the -Past, the belief in God, and the belief in the Future, the belief in -Humanity; and to choose deliberately between them." Furthermore, he avers: -"We contemplate the Trinity of our religion, Humanity, the World, and -Space." A Christian critic has made the following terse comments on Mr. -Congreve's book:-- - -"The chief feeling which possesses us in reading these Essays is one of -sorrow for the writer. It is really sad that a man of education should -lend himself to such a delusion. The 'Religion' itself is ridiculous; -indeed it has not so much as a theory. Not even on paper can its doctrines -be stated, for the simple reason that it has no doctrines whatever. But -it is always melancholy to watch a naturally good intellect under the sway -of a fantastic idea, or to see an educated gentleman writing 500 pages on -the 'Worship' of what does not exist. The sensation of the reader, as he -turns page after page, is expressed in such an inquiry as this: Since the -writer himself believes in nothing whatever, how can he invite my -conversion?" - - - - -THE MIRACULOUS IN CHURCH HISTORY. - - -"And He said unto them, Go ye into all the World, and preach the Gospel to -every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he -that believeth not shall be damned. - -"And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My Name shall they -cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up -serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they -shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover."--_S. Mark_ xvi. -15-18. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE MIRACULOUS IN CHURCH HISTORY. - - -The important subject of the Miraculous in Church History sufficiently -well known to students of it, involves the existence of a religious -principle of universal application. This will be apparent, in due course, -from the following preliminary considerations:--"A miracle," writes Hume, -"is a violation of the laws of Nature; and, as a firm and unalterable -experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle is as -entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined."[10] -Further on, he declares "that a miracle supported by any human testimony -is more properly a subject of derision than of argument."[11] On these -statements, definite and precise as they appear, and yet not sufficiently -definite, it may be remarked in the first place that no human experience -is unalterable: it may to a certain person or certain persons have been -hitherto unaltered. But this is all. Are there then no facts beyond our -experience--no natural positions or states with which we are unacquainted? -When a man writes of "unalterable experience," he obviously means so much -of that experience, as either mediately or immediately has come to his -knowledge; in other words his own past experience.[12] And this Hume -declares sufficient to enable him to determine what are the unvarying laws -of Nature, and, by consequence, what are miracles. But surely here is -something akin to arrogance. For what modest person would venture to -maintain his own experience to be altogether and absolutely firm and -unalterable? Who would declare of a witness, who testified, for example, -what was contrary to that experience, that such a man was worthy only of -disbelief and derision? And yet many, in the present day, adopt and put -into practice this unstable and imperfect theory of Hume. - -What has been set forth above in opposition to that theory is still more -pointedly expressed in the following remarkable passage: - -"The natural philosopher when he imagines a physical impossibility which -is not an inconceiveability, merely states that his phenomenon is against -all that has been hitherto known of the course of Nature. Before he can -compass an impossibility, he has a huge postulate to ask of his reader or -hearer, a postulate which Nature never taught: it is that the Future is -always to agree with the Past. How do you know that this sequence of -phenomena always will be? Answer, Because it must be. But how do you know -that it must be? Answer, Because it always has been. But then, even -granting that it always has been, how do you know that what always has -been always will be? Answer, I see my mind compelled to that conclusion. -And how do you know that the leanings of your mind are always towards -truth? Because I am infallible, the answer ought to be; but this answer is -never given."[13] - -Of course no Christian will deny the following elementary propositions -here briefly stated, before the general subject is further discussed. -First that man consists of body and soul, the nobler and more important -part being the soul, which is spiritual, immortal, and eternal. God, the -Creator of all things, is a Spirit; and, in this particular, man is made -in the image of God. Destined to dwell on the earth for a while, during an -appointed period of probation, man passes by death, which is a temporary -separation of soul and body, to the life beyond the grave. Man's duty -here, therefore, ought to fit and prepare him for a future state, and -teach him better the value of his soul and the reality of the -Supernatural. - -Now the Almighty, in calling man into being here, and making him "lord of -the whole earth," giving him, in fact, dominion over the beasts of the -field, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea, has established in -connection with him a two-fold order, the natural, which relates to the -visible world, and the Supernatural or miraculous, which concerns the -spiritual and invisible. The natural order comprises the law of nature, by -which the World created by God is governed, and concerns man in his -dealings with nature. But the Supernatural concerns him in his relations -with God and the world of spirits. Both orders are alike from God, and -each has its appointed sphere. The Author of both is the controller of -each. And, as if to indicate to man from time to time that God has -something to say in His own creation, and will not be totally excluded -from it by man's forgetfulness, the Supernatural is wisely and mercifully -interwoven with the natural, to remind man, by the Glimpses occasionally -vouchsafed of the former, that, though the World has been made for his use -and advantage, many things in it speak eloquently of a continued existence -in the future, though now the same World's fashion most surely passeth -away. How prone man becomes, by constantly contemplating the natural, to -thrust the Supernatural aside, is the experience of many. And this being -so, how merciful is God to remind us of the next world, not only by the -ordinary modes and channels appointed for so doing, by change, by -revelation, by death; but occasionally by suddenly, strangely, and -abruptly breaking in upon the usual order of events, and the ordinary -course of nature, to let us see with our natural eyes, and hear with our -ears, that He is. Thus the Supernatural indicates the tracing of the -Finger of God. Freely, and for a lofty purpose, to set forth His glory, -power, and mercy, He created the laws of nature; freely, and for a like -lofty purpose, He sometimes suspends them. Such intervention on His part, -such a suspension, is a miracle, which may be defined as "a record and -evidence of the Supernatural manifesting itself in the midst of the -natural order;" or, as S. Thomas Aquinas so clearly and ably defined it of -old, "A miracle is an act performed by God out of the ordinary course of -nature." In accepting this, we do but maintain that God alone is the -Author and Controller of all laws, whether natural or supernatural. -Historical Christianity calls upon us to believe, firstly, the great -principle that miracles are possible; and, secondly, that those recorded -in Holy Scripture, ranging from the time of Moses to that of S. John the -Divine, are true. Other miracles or miraculous interventions rest upon the -value, purport, and character of the evidence and testimony forthcoming -for their authenticity. They are all equally possible, because all are -acts of the Almighty; but they are not all equally credible, because the -evidence of their authenticity may be of a less precise, definite, and -well-authenticated character. - -To assert, as some do, that a miraculous intervention implies change or -contradiction in God, is inaccurate; for in His works surely He may -exercise that liberty which is one of His perfections. Were man's range of -vision wider than it is, the working of a miracle might be found to be, -after all, only the realization and carrying out of God's original design -and primary purpose. Again, from the point of view of another objection, -to maintain that we cannot know what a miracle is, or whether any miracle -has been ever wrought, without being acquainted with _all_ the laws of -nature, is likewise inaccurate; for we know enough, both of the natural -and supernatural, to be perfectly certain that it is out of the ordinary -course of nature for a dead man to come to life again. While, then, such a -miracle teaches us to acknowledge the power of God, it may, at the same -time, serve to let the Materialist realize his own possible ignorance of -the laws of nature. For after all there may be some hidden law, as yet -unknown, which may contradict a known law, and so modify it--a probability -which is at least deserving of the consideration of those who altogether -deny the Supernatural. - -As regards miracles, let the well-known argument of the great S. -Augustine of Hippo be considered: "Christianity," he writes, "was either -founded by miracles, or it was not. If it was, then miracles exist. If it -was not, then this is the greatest of all miracles, viz. that a religion -so radically contrarient to all human prejudices, and so much resisted by -all human influence, should, without the aid of miracles, have made its -place and assured its progress in the world." If, again, the only evidence -that a person will admit is that of his own personal experience, that he -must himself witness a miracle; that, like S. Thomas, he will maintain, -"Except I shall see ... I will not believe," has he not power of mind -enough to appreciate the fact that he is in every way unreasonable, by -demanding for himself that which he altogether refuses to admit in others? - -But, in truth, the miracles of our Blessed Lord, and more particularly the -miracle of His Resurrection, were so striking and convincing, being -testified to, both as regards their act and consequences, by so many, that -they produced both conviction and triumph. Not universally, but with a -sufficient number of persons to ensure the steady increase of the infant -Church--though the very miracles which wrought such a vast moral and -religious change, were rejected by the unbelievers of the day. - -In the Church of the primitive, as well as in later, ages, the -Supernatural was being constantly manifested. The apostles proved the -divinity of their mission by the power of their works. The miracles -recorded in the "Acts of the Apostles" were followed by others equally -marvellous and remarkable in succeeding periods--a feature that might have -been most reasonably looked for in the history of Christianity, for the -very life and spirit of the Church are supernatural.[14] Persecuted in -every age, she has risen again. After being cast down, driven from this -place in one century, she has made still greater progress elsewhere in -another. For the first three hundred years of her existence, and in the -very heart of the world's civilization, Rome, every patriarchal primate of -that Holy See died a witness to the truths of Christianity. The ordinary -supernatural powers of our Lord's first followers were duly inherited by -those formally set apart to fill their place and office. Men freely -testified to what they had seen and heard. As occasion seemed to need it, -the divine power was duly manifested in outward, notable, and noted -acts,--to the truth and reality of which even Profane History has -abundantly witnessed. - -While in the records of the Christian Church there is an almost constant -tradition of miraculous facts. The tale of every century is rife with -them. They were to have been anticipated, because He had spoken Whose Word -shall never fail, and His promise seems to have been always remembered: -"Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I -do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I -go unto My Father."[15] Consequently it is found that many of the later -miracles, those termed "ecclesiastical," in distinction to scriptural, are -even more remarkable than those wrought by our Blessed Lord Himself--a -fact which, instead of deserving ridicule and contempt, merits, from -persons of a Christian habit of mind, patient consideration, and a -careful, if not a ready, acceptance. For in such the faithful will only -perceive a perfect realization of their Master's divine pledge. - -To take a notable example of the miraculous occurring towards the close of -the second century (A.D. 174), testified to, as far as the fact of the -miracle is concerned, by at least four independent Pagan writers, -Dionysius Cassius, Julius Capitolinus, AElius Lampridius, and Claudian. - -Eusebius, in his "Ecclesiastical History,"[16] puts on record the -following account of a most remarkable event:[17]--"It is said that when -Marcus Aurelius Caesar was forming his troops in order of battle against -the Germans and Sarmatians, he was reduced to extremities by a failure of -water. Meanwhile the soldiers in the so-called 'Melitene legion,' which -for its faith remains to this day, knelt down upon the ground, as we are -accustomed to do, in prayer, and betook themselves to supplication. And -whereas this sight was strange to the enemy, another still more strange -happened immediately--thunderbolts which caused the enemy's flight and -overthrow; and upon the army to which the men were attached, who had -called upon God, a rain, which restored it entirely when it was all but -perishing by thirst." This fact had been previously put on record by -Claudius Apollinaris,[18] Bishop of Hierapolis, in his "Apology for -Christianity," addressed about the year 176 to the Emperor Marcus. -Tertullian, about fifteen years later, affirms the truth of the same fact -when addressing the Proconsul of Africa. Each of these writers gives point -to the narrative, the first by recording that henceforth the term -"Thundering Legion" was applied to that in which the Christian soldiers -had prayed: the second by his statement that the Emperor had, in -consequence, promulgated an edict in favour of the Christians. It is clear -from Eusebius, likewise, that the Pagans acknowledged the miracle, as they -could not fail to do, wrought as it was in the presence of so many; but, -of course, they denied that it was to be attributed to the prayers of the -Christians. Julius Capitolinus attributed it to the prayers of the -Emperor;[19] Dionysius Cassius to the operations of Arnuphis, an Egyptian -magician.[20] A record of the unquestioned fact, however, is sculptured on -the Antonine column at Rome;[21] a medal, struck the very year of the -occurrence, likewise commemorates the event. Here, then, we find on record -an occurrence which ordinary people will call a miracle; here we obtain a -distinct example of the Supernatural. In answer to the prayers of certain -Roman soldiers, sons and servants of the Crucified, palpable benefits are -vouchsafed, and marvellous deliverances effected. The foe is destroyed, -and they are rescued. And this fact is testified to by Pagans worthy of -credit as well as by Christians, and is put on record in the modes already -set forth. - -Another example, the appearance of a luminous Cross to Constantine (A.D. -312), must here be given, because of its inherent importance; because the -testimony to its having occurred before so many is very general; and -because the moral and religious changes consequent upon it, results that -both immediately and eventually followed, have been at once great and -notorious:-- - -The conversion of the Roman empire, in the person of its head, was the -most remarkable event in the early pages of Christian history. -"Constantine's submission of his power to the Church," writes Dr. Newman, -"has been a pattern for all Christian monarchs since, and the -commencement of our state establishment to this day; and, on the other -hand, the fortunes of the Roman Empire are in prophecy apparently -connected with her in a very intimate manner, which we are not yet able -fully to comprehend. If any event might be said to call for a miracle it -was this; whether to signalize it, or to bring it about. Thus it was that -the fate of Babylon was written on the wall of the banqueting-hall; also -portents in the sky preceded the final destruction of Jerusalem, and are -predicted in Scripture as forerunners of the last great day. Moreover our -Lord's prophecy of 'the Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven' was anciently -understood of the Cross. And further, the sign of the Cross was at the -time, and had been from the beginning, a received symbol and instrument of -Christian devotion, and cannot be ascribed to a then rising superstition. -Tertullian speaks of it as an ordinary rite for sanctifying all the -ordinary events of the day; it was used in exorcisms; and, what is still -more to the point, it is regarded by S. Justin, Tertullian, and Minucius -as impressed with a providential meaning upon natural forms and human -works, as well as introduced by divine authority into the types of the Old -Testament."[22] - -The supernatural manner in which the Emperor's conversion was -accomplished may be thus recorded. Marching from the border of the Rhine, -through Gaul and part of Italy by Verona to Rome, against the tyrant -Maxentius, who had declared war against him, and was already near Rome -with a largely superior force, Constantine solemnly and earnestly invoked -the One True God, the God of the Christians, for assistance and victory. -At that period he was not a Christian himself, though he had no doubt -accurately enough measured the true character of Roman paganism. A short -time after midday, upon his march, there appeared in the heavens[23] a -large luminous Cross in sight of himself and the whole of his army, with -the inscription surrounding it, "In this conquer." On the following night -it is recorded that our Blessed Lord appeared to him in a dream, or, as -some say, a vision, and commanded him to have a representation of the sign -made, and to use it henceforth as his chief standard in battle. The -Emperor, rising early the next morning, announced this vision and message -to his confidential friends, and at once gave orders for the making of the -imperial standard.[24] This being done, fifty men of the stoutest and -most religious of his guards were chosen to carry it. And, surrounded by -these, it was borne immediately before the Emperor himself. The Christian -soldiers were full of faith and hope. They saw the Finger of God, and -looked for victory. - -On the other hand the army of Maxentius, consisting of three divisions of -veteran soldiers, esteemed the most efficient in the empire, engaged -Constantine in the Quintian fields near the bridge Milvius. The attack was -fast and furious. But the aggressors were at all points met with vigour -and bravery, and soon succumbed and were in retreat. Constantine, with far -fewer numbers than those opposed to him, was completely victorious; the -legions of Maxentius were scattered or slain, and on the same day, with -the sacred Labarum (as the imperial standard in question was termed) borne -before him, he entered Rome in triumph. His conversion to Christianity -soon followed upon his victory. In his triumph he dropped the old customs -of his Pagan predecessors. He neither mounted the Capitol, nor offered -sacrifices to the deities of Rome, but by suitable inscriptions recorded -his belief in the power of Christ's saving Cross. In his palace at -Constantinople, as well as in the chief square of that city, the sacred -sign was at once set up; and medals were struck, with representations of -the symbol in question upon them, to commemorate both the victory and his -own religious change. This occurred about A.D. 312. - -Here then we find the record of a distinctively supernatural intervention. -No known physical cause could have formed a sentence of Greek or Latin in -the air. Nor could a whole army have mistaken a Cross, with its -corresponding and appropriate inscription, for a halo of light, or a mere -natural phenomenon. Moreover: three years after the event, Constantine -erected his triumphal arch at Rome, with an inscription, which still -remains, testifying that he had gained the victory "instinctu divinitatis, -mentis magnitudine." Lactantius, likewise, in his treatise "De mortibus -Persecutorum" (if it be his book, though some attribute it to Caecilius), -asserts the main facts of the case as regards the dream, describing the -"heavenly sign of God;" and this in a treatise certainly written within -two years of its occurrence. Seven years later, Nazarius, a Pagan orator, -in a panegyric on the Emperor, also puts upon record his solemn conviction -that celestial aid was miraculously rendered to Constantine in his defeat -of Maxentius. Thus far those who were not Christians testify to the fact -under consideration. On the other hand, Eusebius, who received the account -from Constantine himself (who is known to have confirmed it with an -oath), gives that record of the occurrence which has been already set -forth--and he was notoriously an historian who had small leaning towards -over-belief. While the reasonable conclusion, therefore, is that so many -independent writers and records of the fact could not have been made to -conspire in disseminating a falsehood; the action of the Emperor which -followed the event was in perfect harmony with that which might have been -looked for under the circumstances narrated--the supernatural appearance -of a luminous Cross, heralding a change, even the triumph of the Religion -of Christ over the effete systems of a decaying and decayed idolatry. - -The principle which was manifested in these cases is, through the study of -history, likewise seen to have existed and energized in every part of the -Church. Everywhere, from time to time, the proximity of the unseen world -and the existence of the Supernatural were made manifest: while, here and -there, examples of special miraculous interventions evidently stood forth -to show that neither the Arm of the Most High was shortened nor the faith -of the followers of our Blessed Lord stunted in its growth. In fact -miracles of the most remarkable character have been performed from the age -of the apostles to the present time: while Glimpses of the Supernatural -have been granted to many as partially unfolding the mysteries of the -Unseen World to those who longed and prayed for the same; by which -glimpses or visions their faith has been deepened and their conviction of -the truths of Christianity most surely strengthened. Just as our Blessed -Saviour, following Moses, constantly appealed to the prodigies He wrought -in attestation of His divine mission and in support of His doctrine; so -was it with His followers who came after Him. For to them He had promised -as much. So far therefore from confining the power of working miracles to -His own person and time, He expressly pledged himself and promised that -His servants and ambassadors should receive power to work still greater -works.[25] Just as under the laws of Nature and the written law given by -Moses, the Almighty was pleased to illustrate the society of His chosen -servants with frequent miracles, so we are led to expect that the One -Family of God should be for ever distinguished by occasional miracles -wrought in and through her, as a standing proof of her divine origin and -as a guide to the wanderers beyond the confines of her fold. And thus it -comes to pass that the Fathers and Teachers of the Church, amongst other -proofs of her favour, have constantly appealed to the miracles by which -she is illustrated as a proof of her heavenly mission, and as marking her -off, at the same time, from the various hereticks and schismaticks who, -going out from her, were not of her. For example S. Irenaeus, a disciple of -S. Polycarp, himself a disciple of S. John the Evangelist, reproaches the -Hereticks against whom he writes in his well-known treatise,[26] that they -could neither give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cast out -devils, nor raise the dead to life again, as he maintains was frequently -done in the Church. Tertullian, a contemporary of his, writing of the -hereticks, asks, "I wish to see the miracles which they have worked." S. -Pacian, in the fourth century, opposing Novatus, and considering his -claims, scornfully inquires, "Has he the gift of tongues, or of prophecy? -Has he restored to life the dead?" S. Augustine of Hippo, in numerous -passages of his works, refers to the miracles wrought by and through and -in the Church as most important if not conclusive evidence of her heavenly -character and veracity. - -Again: In the middle of the fourth century occurred that most wonderful -miracle, when the Emperor Julian deliberately attempted to rebuild the -Temple at Jerusalem, with the express intention of disproving the prophet -Daniel's[27] utterance concerning it. Then tempests, whirlwinds, -earthquakes, and fiery eruptions convulsed the scene of the undertaking, -maiming and alarming the persistent workmen, throwing down buildings in -the neighbourhood, as Rufinus testifies, and rendering the carrying on of -the work a sheer physical impossibility. A luminous Cross surrounded by a -circle, indicating that to the Crucified was given all power in heaven -and earth, and showing that the Word of God could never fail, nor be -brought to nought by the vain determinations of men, appeared in the -sky,--a portent witnessed by thousands, and testified to both by Pagan and -Arian, as well as by Christian writers.[28] - -Furthermore, in the following century, another miracle took place at -Typassus or Typasa in Africa, where a large congregation of Christians, -being assembled in divine worship, in opposition to the decree of the -Arian tyrant Hunneric, they were collected in the Forum, in the presence -of the whole province, their right hands were chopped off, and their -tongues cut out to the roots by his command; yet, nevertheless they -continued to speak as plainly and perfectly as they had done before the -barbarous mutilation in question. - -This is vouched for by Victor, Bishop of Vite, in the following -words:--"The king in wrath sent a certain count with directions to hold a -meeting in the Forum, of the whole province, and there to cut out their -tongues by the root, and to cut off their right hands. When this was -done, they so spoke and speak, by the gift of the Holy Ghost, as they used -to speak before. If, however, anyone will be incredulous, let him now go -to Constantinople, and there he will find one of them, Reparatus a -subdeacon, speaking like an educated man without any impediment -whatsoever. On which account he is regarded with exceeding great -veneration in the court of the Emperor Zeno, and specially by the -Empress."[29] - -Now, this miracle is remarkable for various reasons. The witnesses to its -authenticity are varied, both as to their persons and the details of their -testimony, which testimony is both consistent and at one on all important -and material points. Moreover, the evidence on behalf of the miracle is -very complete: the number of persons upon whom it was wrought was more -than considerable; thus, at the same time, increasing the occasion of -valid testimony in its favour, and preventing the interposition of what -some persons term "chance." Furthermore, the miracle is entire; for, as -Dr. Newman remarks, "it carried its whole case with it to every beholder:" -it is also permanent, that is, it continued to indicate its effects before -thousands, whose inquiries, public investigations, and conclusions must -have exercised considerable weight with those who were prepared to accept -it.[30] - -In this brief survey of the miraculous, it is impossible even to touch on -the more remarkable evidences of the Supernatural as set forth in the -History of the Christian Church. Numerous miracles are recorded by S. -Basil, S. Gregory Thaumaturgus, S. Athanasius, S. Jerome, S. Chrysostom, -S. Ambrose, and S. Augustine, as well as by other illustrious Fathers and -Church Historians who adorned the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries of -the Christian era. One, however, related by both the last-named, by S. -Ambrose and S. Augustine, deserves notice, because both those holy bishops -were eye-witnesses of it. A cloth in which the relics of SS. Gervasius and -Protasius had been wrapped was applied to the eyes of a blind man, who -thereupon received his sight.[31] S. Augustine likewise gives an account -of numerous miracles wrought in his own diocese of Hippo,--some through -the instrumentality of the sacred remains of S. Stephen, others in answer -to earnest prayer: while three of the miracles so recorded by him are the -raising of three dead bodies to life. - -The miracles recorded to have been wrought by S. Basil, S. Athanasius, S. -Jerome, S. John Chrysostom, S. Ambrose, and S. Augustine (and, in this -particular, he who runs may read) testify clearly and sufficiently to the -Divine power which existed in the Church Universal in the times of those -holy saints, and the rich fruits of which were both seen and tested by the -faithful. One of the most remarkable was the verification of the Wood of -the Cross, after its discovery by S. Helena, A.D. 326, through the -convincing miracle wrought upon a dead man, who, on being touched by it, -was immediately restored to life. - -And so soon as the Religion of Christ was brought to Britain by our great -Apostle and Archbishop S. Augustine, "greater works than these" followed, -as a matter of course, when the banner of the cross was unfurled upon the -coasts of Kent. That this was so, that many miracles were wrought, we -learn from a Letter written by S. Gregory the Great to S. Augustine, -embodied in the well-known "History" of the Venerable Bede, and preserved -amongst S. Gregory's "Works," in which the Archbishop is duly and lovingly -cautioned against becoming too much elated with vain glory, because of -these marked manifestations of Divine power and favour; and is reminded -that God Almighty had, no doubt, bestowed the gift of working them, not on -the Archbishop's own account, or for his own merit, but for the conversion -of the English nation.[32] - -So, through every succeeding age, were Glimpses afforded of the -Supernatural. For example, S. Bernard, perhaps the most illustrious saint -of the twelfth century, in the "Life of S. Malachi of Armagh," records the -miraculous cure of the withered hand of a youth, by the dead hand of his -holy friend S. Malachi. But nothing can exceed the splendour and publicity -of the miracles of S. Bernard himself,--to the reality of which the -faithful of France and Switzerland, as well as those of Germany and Italy, -bore abundant testimony. Princes and prelates, kings and priests were -witnesses of his supernatural power; for, like his Lord and Master, he -wrought instantaneous cures on the lame, the halt, and the blind, in the -presence of multitudes, and to the great spread and triumph of the Faith. -Of those worked at Cologne, Philip, Archdeacon of Liege, who was formally -commissioned to inquire and report upon them by Lampeon, Archbishop of -Rheims, declared as follows: that "they were not performed in a corner, -but the whole city was witness to them. If anyone," he adds, "doubts or is -curious, he may easily satisfy himself on the spot, more especially as -some of the miracles were wrought upon persons of no inconsiderable rank -and reputation."[33] Moreover, S. Bernard himself distinctly refers to -them in one of his most celebrated treatises, "De Consideratione," -addressed to Pope Eugenius III., and maintains that the evidence of God's -special graces and exceptional blessings thus resting upon him, enabled -him to feel sufficient confidence of the Divine aid and benediction to -enter upon the grave and laborious task of preaching the Second Crusade. - -And if we proceed onward to the sixteenth century, where in some places, -and especially amongst the northern nations of Europe, Faith began to wax -cold, and Charity was not, we find, from History, that the miracles of -Francis Xavier, the saintly apostle of India, may almost vie with those -of the great S. Bernard, for they were as numerous and as inherently -remarkable; while the testimony as to their truth, reality, and -influence[34] was generally acknowledged by the faithful, as well as by -Protestants. - -In truth, wherever the Catholic religion has been taught and accepted, -wherever the Name of Jesus has been loved and venerated, wherever faith in -the Unseen has been active and daring, there the Finger of God has -sometimes been manifested. And this, of course, was to have been expected. -Our Blessed Saviour's glorious and unfailing promise, that His disciples, -with whom He pledged Himself to remain unto the end of the world, should -do even "greater works" than He Himself had wrought, was thus, from time -to time, as man's faith merited God Almighty's intervention, literally and -strictly fulfilled. - - - - -SPIRITUAL POWERS AND PROPERTIES OF THE CHURCH. - - -"When a man holds up to my conscious eye the page of futurity; or when, at -the mandate of a mortal, I clearly perceive Nature to listen and to -suspend her laws, I rationally conclude that such a man is indeed employed -by God. These miraculous and prophetical tests, produced by the ancient -seer to the Israelites, appealed to by Christ in His own sacred cause, and -made over by Him to His ministers for ever in the work of conversion, have -been a means to guide the enquiring soul to that Authority -divinely-commissioned to teach the World. This power to deliver the -dictates of the Holy Spirit, this society of continued apostles, or in -other words, the Holy Catholic Church in every age, has proved by the -evidence of actual miracles her possession of this gift presented to her -by her Divine Founder." - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -SPIRITUAL POWERS AND PROPERTIES OF THE CHURCH. - - -It is allowed on all hands by Catholic Christians that liberty has been -sometimes permitted to the devil or his angels to enter into the bodies of -men (just as of old Satan was allowed to try the patriarch Job), and to -obtain such an absolute command over their powers and faculties as to -incapacitate them, more or less, for any of the common duties of life. On -this point, those who accept the Written Word of God as a portion, and a -very important portion, of His Divine Revelation to mankind, through -Christ, can have no doubt. In the New Testament, numerous instances of -possession by evil spirits are recorded. - -The case of the daughter of the woman of Canaan, who cried out to our -Blessed Saviour, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, Thou Son of David, my -daughter is grievously vexed with a devil,"[35] and obtained from Him the -gracious and merciful reply, "Be it unto thee even as thou wilt," is -familiar to all. - -So likewise is that of the man with an unclean spirit, recorded in the -first chapter of the Gospel according to S. Mark. Here the spirit -acknowledging that Christ was the "Holy One of God," received the rebuke -of Jesus Christ. "And when the unclean spirit had torn" the man suffering, -"and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all -amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing -is this? What new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth He even -the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him." - -Again we read, "Unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, -and cried saying, Thou art the Son of God."[36] And when His apostles were -called and formally ordained, it is written that they were "to have power -to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils," power which in due course -both the Gospels and the recorded History of the Church assure us was duly -exercised. - -Another miraculous intervention, by which our Blessed Saviour manifested -His divine power over evil spirits, and freed suffering men from their -frightful influence, is here given from S. Mark's Gospel at length: "When -He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a -man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no -man could bind him, no not with chains: because that he had often been -bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by -him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And -always, day and night, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying -and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran -and worshipped Him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to -do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure Thee by God -that Thou torment me not. For He said unto him, Come out of the man, thou -unclean spirit. And He asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, -saying, My name is Legion, for we are many. And he besought Him much that -He would not send him away out of the country. Now there was nigh unto the -mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought Him, -saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter unto them. And forthwith -Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into -the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea -(they were about two thousand), and were choked in the sea. And they that -fed the swine fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And they -went out to see what it was that was done. And they came to Jesus, and see -him that was possessed of the devil, and had the legion, sitting and -clothed and in his right mind."[37] - -With these solemn and awful facts before us, it is impossible to doubt -either of the power or influence of the devil and his angels. That such -power had been known amongst the ancient nations, and that certain persons -had entered into compacts or alliances with evil spirits, seems to be -generally admitted. And although the fact of the Incarnation had sorely -crippled the influence of the enemy of souls, it is clear from the last -promise given by our Lord to His apostles, "In My Name they shall cast out -devils," that such authority and action would still be needed. For -possessions were not to cease, as a reference to the Acts of the Apostles -shows: where it is recorded that the very authority bestowed by our -Blessed Saviour was actually and efficiently exercised; and there is no -reasonable evidence to show that such divinely-bestowed powers have ever -ceased. All through the History of the Church, here and there, from time -to time, as man needed and as God willed, such direct supernatural powers -as those referred to, appear to have been put into operation. For the -Church can bless and the Church can curse. The Church can bind and can -loose. She can commend to the protection of God Almighty and His holy -angels, and she can deliver over to Satan. She can bestow light and peace -on her true and faithful children, and send out the disobedient and -impenitent beyond the consecrated confines of her spiritual powers and -graces. As effects of Christ's most gracious promise, such ordinary and -extraordinary works were wrought; for the glory of His great Name, and as -a testimony of the truth of the Church Universal. - -For generations, up to the very earliest age of Christianity, there have -been officers of the Church duly set apart and ordained for the particular -work of exorcism. Amongst the minor orders of Western Christendom the -exorcist has always found a place; and although, in later years, this -special work, when undertaken, has been more frequently done by persons in -the higher or sacred orders, yet the very office itself, and its title, as -well as the existing forms for casting out evil spirits, abundantly attest -the Church's divine and spiritual powers. - -In countries which are specially and eminently Christian, where churches, -sanctuaries, and religious houses are numerous; where, by the road-side -and on the hill-top, stand the signs and symbols of the Faith of -Christendom; where the Sacrament of Baptism is shed upon so many; where -post-baptismal sin is remitted by those who have authority and -jurisdiction to bind and loose in the Name of their Master; and where the -Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, God manifest in the Flesh, reposing in the -tabernacle, or borne in triumph through aisle and street and garden, -hallows and feeds the faithful--there the power and influence of the Evil -One is circumscribed and weakened. Sacred oil for unction, and holy water -and the life-giving power of the Cross, and the relics of the beatified as -well as of the favoured and crowned servants of the Crucified, make the -devils flee away, and efficiently curb their power. Hence it is found that -in countries where the Catholic Faith has been halved or rejected, -Superstition has taken the place of the first theological virtue, Faith; -and the Prince of the Powers of the air comes back again with his evil and -malignant spirits to vex mankind anew,[38] and mar and stay the final -triumph of Him to Whom all power is given in heaven and in earth. - -A remarkable case of the Supernatural will here be put on record, which -occurred in the diocese of Exeter during the seventeenth century. -Preliminary inquiries and comments concerning the various incidents would -be obviously out of place; for the well-authenticated story itself is -unfolded with a simplicity and yet with a power which efficiently serve to -stamp it as true. - -"About 152 years since," writes Mr. Fortescue Hitchins, in his "History of -Cornwall," "a ghost is said to have made its appearance in this parish[39] -(Little Petherick[40]), in a field about half a mile from Botaden or -Botathen (in that county). In the narrative which is given of this -occurrence, it is said to have been seen by a son of Mr. Bligh, aged about -sixteen, by his father and mother, and by the Rev. John Ruddle, master of -the grammar school of Launceston, and one of the prebendaries of Exeter, -and vicar of Alternon. The relation given by Mr. Ruddle is in substance as -follows:-- - -"Young Mr. Bligh, a lad of bright parts and of no common attainments, -became on a sudden pensive, dejected, and melancholy. His friends -observing the change, without being able to discover the cause, attributed -his behaviour to laziness--an aversion to school--or to some other motive -which they suspected he was ashamed to discover. He was, however, induced -after some time to inform his brother that in a field through which he -passed to and from school he was invariably met by the apparition of a -woman whom he personally knew while living, and who had been dead about -eight years. Ridicule, threats, and persuasions were alike used in vain by -the family to induce him to dismiss these absurd ideas. Mr. Ruddle was -however sent for, to whom the lad ingenuously communicated the time, -manner, and frequency of this appearance. It was in a field called 'Higher -Bloomfield.' The apparition, he said, appeared dressed in female attire, -met him two or three times while he passed through the field, glided -hastily by him, but never spoke. He had thus been occasionally met about -two months before he took any particular notice of it: at length the -appearance became more frequent, meeting him both morning and evening, but -always in the same field, yet invariably moving out of the path when it -came close by him. He often spoke, but could never get any reply. To avoid -this unwelcome visitor he forsook the field, and went to school and -returned from it through a lane, in which place between the quarry-park -and nursery it always met him. - -"Unable to disbelieve the evidence of his senses, or to obtain credit with -any of his family, he prevailed upon Mr. Ruddle to accompany him to the -place. 'I arose,' says this clergyman, 'the next morning, and went with -him. The field to which he led me I guessed to be about twenty acres, in -an open country, and about three furlongs from any house. We went into -the field, and had not gone a third part before the _spectrum_, in the -shape of a woman, with all the circumstances that he had described the day -before, so far as the suddenness of its appearance and transition would -permit me to discover, passed by. - -"'I was a little impressed at it, and, though I had taken up a firm -resolution to speak to it, I had not the power, nor durst I look back; yet -I took care not to show any fear to my pupil and guide; and therefore, -telling him that I was satisfied in the truth of his statement, we walked -to the end of the field, and returned: nor did the ghost meet us that time -but once. - -"'On the 27th July, I went to the haunted field by myself, and walked the -breadth of it without any encounter. I then returned, and took the other -walk, and then the spectre appeared to me, when about the same place in -which I saw it when the young gentleman was with me. It appeared to move -swifter than before, and seemed to me about ten feet from me on my right -hand, insomuch that I had not time to speak to it as I had determined with -myself beforehand. The evening of this day the parents, the son, and -myself being in the chamber where I lay, I proposed to them our going to -the place next morning; we accordingly met at the stile we had appointed; -thence we all four walked into the field together. We had not gone more -than half the field before the ghost made its appearance. It then came -over the stile just before us, and moved with such rapidity, that by the -time it had gone six or seven steps, it passed by. I immediately turned my -head and ran after it, with the young man by my side. We saw it pass over -the stile at which we entered, and no farther. I stepped upon the hedge at -one place, and the young man at another, but we could discern nothing; -whereas I do aver that the swiftest horse in England could not have -conveyed himself out of sight in that short space of time. Two things I -observed in this day's appearance; first a spaniel dog, which had followed -the company unregarded, barked and ran away as the _spectrum_ passed by: -whence it is easy to conclude that it was not our fear and fancy which -made the apparition; secondly the motion of the _spectrum_ was not -_gradatim_ or by steps, or moving of the feet, but by a kind of gliding, -as children upon ice, or as a boat down a river, which practically answers -the description the ancients give of the motion of these lemures. This -ocular evidence clearly convinced, but withal strangely affrighted, the -old gentleman and his wife. They all knew this woman, Dorothy Durant, in -her lifetime; were at her burial: and now plainly saw her features in this -apparition. - -"'The next morning being Thursday, I went very early by myself, and walked -for about one hour's space in meditation and prayer, in the field next -adjoining. Soon after five I stepped over the stile into the haunted -field, and had not gone above thirty or forty paces before the ghost -appeared at the further stile. I spoke to it in some short sentences, with -a loud voice, whereupon it approached me but slowly, and, when I came -near, it moved not. I spoke again, and it answered in a voice neither -audible nor very intelligible. I was not in the least terrified, and -thereupon persisted until it spoke again, and gave me satisfaction; but -the work could not be finished at this time. Whereupon the same evening, -an hour after sunset, it met me again near the same place, and after a few -words on each side it quietly vanished, and neither doth appear now, nor -hath appeared since, nor ever will move to any man's disturbance. The -discourse in the morning lasted about a quarter of an hour. - -"'These things are true, and I know them to be so, with as much certainty -as eyes and ears can give me; and until I can be persuaded that my senses -all deceive me about their proper objects, and by that persuasion deprive -myself of the strongest inducement to believe in Christian Religion, I -must and will assert that the things contained in this paper are true. As -for the manner of my proceeding, I have no reason to be ashamed of it. I -can justify it to men of good principles, discretion, and recondite -learning, though in this case I chose to content myself in the assurance -of the thing, rather than be at the unprofitable trouble to persuade -others to believe it, for I know full well with what difficulty relations -of so uncommon a nature and practice obtain belief.'" - -So much as regards the record of the appearance found in the volume -already referred to. - -The following extract from Mr. Ruddle's MS. Diary, was taken by the Rev. -R. S. Hawker, M.A., vicar of Morwenstow, the accomplished and well-known -Christian poet, and appears in his interesting "Footprints of Former Men -in Far Cornwall" (London, 1870), and still further amplifies and -illustrates this story, the practical and eventual issue of which is now -to be recorded:-- - -"January 7, 1665. At my own house I find by my books what is expedient to -be done; and then Apage Sathanas! - -"January 9, 1665. This day I took leave of my wife and family, under -pretext of engagements elsewhere, and made my secret journey to our -diocesan city, wherein the good and venerable bishop then abode.[41] - -"January 10. 'Deo gratias,' in safe arrival at Exeter: craved and obtained -immediate audience of his lordship; pleading it was for counsel and -admonition on a weighty and pressing cause. Called to the presence; made -obeisance; and then, by command, stated my case, the Botathen -perplexity--which I moved with strong and earnest instances and solemn -asseverations of that which I had myself seen and heard. Demanded by his -lordship, what was the succour that I had come to entreat at his hands? -Replied, license for my exorcism, that so I might, ministerially, allay -this spiritual visitant, and thus render to the living and the dead -release from this surprise. - -"'But,' said our bishop, 'on what authority do you allege that I am -entrusted with faculty so to do? Our Church, as is well known, hath -abjured certain branches of her ancient power, on grounds of perversion -and abuse.' - -"'Nay, my Lord,' I humbly answered, 'under favour, the seventy-second of -the Canons[42] ratified and enjoined on us, the clergy, Anno Domini 1604, -doth expressly provide that _No minister, unless he hath the license of -his diocesan bishop, shall essay to exorcise a spirit, evil or good_. -Therefore it was,' I did here mildly allege, 'that I did not presume to -enter on such a work without lawful privilege under your lordship's hand -and seal.' - -"Hereupon did our wise and learned bishop, sitting in his chair, -condescend upon the theme at some length, with many gracious -interpretations from ancient writers and from Holy Scripture, and did -humbly rejoin and reply; till the upshot was that he did call in his -secretary and command him to draw the aforesaid faculty forthwith and -without further delay, assigning him a form, insomuch that the matter was -incontinently done, and after I had disbursed into the secretary's hands -certain moneys, for signitary purposes, as the manner of such officers -hath always been, the Bishop did himself affix his signature under the -sigillum of his see, and deliver the document into my hands. - -"When I knelt down to receive his benediction, he softly said, 'Let it be -secret, Mr. Rudall,--weak brethren! weak brethren!'" - -Some details from the same Diary as to the exact manner in which the ghost -was laid give an additional interest to the narrative. - -"January 12th, 1665. Rode into the gateway of Botathen, armed at all -points, but not with Saul's armour, and ready. There is danger from the -demons, but so there is in the surrounding air every day. At early morning -then and alone, for so the usage ordains, I betook me towards the field. -It was void, and I had thereby due time to prepare. First I paced and -measured out my circle on the grass. Then did I mark my pentacle in the -very midst, and at the intersection of the five angles I did set up and -fix my crutch of raun [rowan]. Lastly I took my station south, at the true -line of the meridian, and stood facing due north. I waited and watched -for a long time. At last there was a kind of trouble in the air, a soft -and rippling sound, and all at once the shape appeared, and came on -towards me gradually. I opened my parchment scroll, and read aloud the -command. She paused and seemed to waver and doubt; stood still: and then I -rehearsed the sentence again, sounding out every syllable like a chant. -She drew near my ring, but halted at first outside, on the brink. I -sounded again, and now at the third time I gave the signal in Syriac--the -speech which is used, they say, where such ones dwell and converse in -thoughts that glide. - -"She was at last obedient and swam into the midst of the circle: and there -stood still suddenly. I saw, moreover, that she drew back her pointing -hand. All this while I do confess that my knees shook under me, and the -drops of sweat ran down my flesh like rain. But now, although face to face -with the spirit, my heart grew calm and my mind composed, to know that the -pentacle would govern her, and the ring must bind until I gave the word. -Then I called to mind the rule laid down of old that no angel or fiend, no -spirit, good or evil, will ever speak until they be spoken to. N.B.--This -is the great law of prayer. God Himself will not yield reply until man -hath made vocal entreaty once and again. So I went on to demand, as the -books advise; and the phantom made answer willingly. Questioned, wherefore -not at rest? Unquiet because of a certain sin. Asked what and by whom? -Revealed it; but it is _sub sigillo_, and therefore _nefas dictu_; more -anon. Inquired, what sign she could give me that she was a true spirit and -not a false fiend? Stated [that] before next Yule-tide a fearful -pestilence would lay waste the land;[43] and myriads of souls would be -loosened from their flesh, until, as she piteously said, 'Our valleys will -be full.' Asked again, why she so terrified the lad? Replied, 'It is the -law; we must seek a youth or a maiden of clean life, and under age, to -receive messages and admonitions.' We conversed with many more words; but -it is not lawful for me to set them down. Pen and ink would degrade and -defile the thoughts she uttered, and which my mind received that day. I -broke the ring and she passed, but to return once more next day. At -evensong a long discourse with that ancient transgressor, Mr. B----. Great -horror and remorse; entire atonement and penance; whatsoever I enjoin; -full acknowledgment before pardon. - -"January 13, 1665. At sunrise I was again in the field. She came in at -once, and, as it seemed, with freedom. Inquired if she knew my thoughts, -and what I was going to relate? Answered, 'Nay, we only know what we -perceive and hear: we cannot see the heart.' Then I rehearsed the penitent -words of the man she had come up to denounce, and the satisfaction he -would perform. Then said she, 'Peace in our midst.' I went through the -proper forms of dismissal, and fulfilled all, as it was set down and -written in my memoranda; and then with certain fixed rites, I did dismiss -that troubled ghost, until she peacefully withdrew, gliding towards the -west. Neither did she ever afterwards appear; but was allayed, until she -shall come in her second flesh, to the Valley of Armageddon on the Last -Day." - -Another example, giving with singular power and effect a very striking -Glimpse of the Supernatural, from the experiences of a venerated and -exemplary Roman Catholic clergyman, the late Rev. Edward Peach, of S. -Chad's, Birmingham, is here given at length. The events narrated occurred -in the year 1815, and Mr. Peach deliberately affirmed of the following -account that it "_may be relied on in every particular as being strictly -true_." "I," he continues, in a formal record of the successful exorcism, -"was the minister of God employed on the occasion; and truth is more to -me than all the boastings of pride and vain glory." - -The authentic record stands as follows:-- - -"Some time after Easter, in the year 1815, I was informed that a young -married woman of the name of White, in the parish of King's Norton, -Worcestershire, a Protestant, was afflicted with an extraordinary kind of -illness, and that her relations, who occupied a small farm, were convinced -that her illness arose solely from the malice of a rejected admirer, who, -they said, had employed the assistance of a reputed wizard at Dudley to do -her a mischief. These were their terms. I paid but little attention to -this story. Afterwards I was informed by a sister who frequents our -markets, and supplies with butter a respectable family of my congregation, -Mr. Powell, Suffolk Street, that the young woman was married in the -beginning of the preceding Lent; that her former admirer repeatedly -declared that, if she did marry any other, she should never have another -happy day; that the day after her marriage she was seized with an -extraordinary kind of mental complaint; that she became suddenly -delirious; that she raved, and declared that a multitude of infernal -spirits surrounded her; that they threatened to carry her away; that she -must go with them. The poor sister informed my friend, with tears -streaming down her cheeks, that she continued in that state, day and -night, for nearly two months, and that the whole family were almost -exhausted with the fatigue of constantly attending her, for, she said, -they could not leave her alone, lest she should put her threats of -destroying herself into execution. - -"At the end of about two months, according to the relation of the same -sister, the poor creature was so spent that her medical attendant (who, -during the whole time of his attendance, declared that her illness arose -more from a mental than corporeal cause,) declared that, in all -probability, she could not survive four-and-twenty hours. The clergyman of -the parish was called in to assist her in her last moments; but he found -her in a state not to be benefited by his assistance, and he departed. - -"Amongst the neighbours who came to make a tender of their good offices -for the relief of the afflicted family was a Catholic woman. Her offers -were accepted, and she was frequently with her. Finding her reduced almost -to a state of inanition, and hearing her speak of these infernal spirits -every time she opened her lips, the thought came into her mind of applying -to her some holy water. She accordingly procured some, dipped her finger -into it, and made the sign of the cross upon her forehead. Instantly the -poor sufferer started, and, in a faint voice, exclaimed, 'You have scalded -me.' However, she leaned upon the bosom of her attendant, and, what she -had not done for a considerable time before, she fell into a gentle sleep. -On awaking, she continued to hold the same language as before. The -Catholic put a little holy water into her mouth. But the very instant it -entered her mouth she seemed to be in a state of suffocation. She and the -others who were with her were alarmed, and expected that every instant -would be her last. In a short time, however, she swallowed it, and after -many convulsive struggles she regained her breath, and exclaimed with -violence, 'You have scalded my throat, you have scalded my throat.' In a -few minutes she fell again into a comfortable sleep, and continued so for -some hours. The next morning she appeared refreshed, and spoke reasonably -for a short time. Being informed of what had been applied to her, she -seemed to wish for more. The swallowing was attended with the same -sensation of scalding, and the same convulsive struggles as before; but it -seemed to give her ease. From that time the danger of death seemed to -decrease by degrees. She enjoyed lucid intervals from time to time; and -invariably after the application of holy water, although attended with the -same sensations as before, she fell into a slumber. - -"One remarkable circumstance deserves notice. In one of her paroxysms, she -insisted on getting up, and going out of doors. She said that there was a -large snake in front of the house, that she would go and kill it, and then -one of her enemies would be removed. Nothing would satisfy her, till this -same sister, who gave the account, assured her that she would go down and -kill it. She went down, and, to her great astonishment, found a large -snake, and succeeded in destroying it. - -"This in substance is the account which the sister gave of Mrs. White's -extraordinary illness. At the same time it was asked whether I could be of -any assistance to her, or whether it was probable that I could be -prevailed on to go and see her? My friend who related to me the whole of -the above account, asked me to go. I replied that I knew nothing of them, -nor they of me; but that if she would walk over, and examine into the -state of the poor woman, I would go, if there appeared to her to be any -probability of my being of service. She went, and, on her return, she -informed me that all she had heard seemed to be true, and assured me that -all the family were desirous of seeing me, and particularly the young -woman herself. - -"However, I still delayed, till at length, on Tuesday in Rogation Week, -May 2nd, 1815, a special messenger came over to inform me that Mrs. White -was in a worse state than ever, and to request me to go and see her -without delay. - -"I obeyed the call, and I may say with truth that it was the most awful -visit I ever made during the whole course of my ministry. The distance was -about six miles. No sooner had I cleared the skirts of the town than I -heard the distant thunder before me. Before I had proceeded two miles, the -storm was nearly over my head; and I may say the remainder of my walk, -and during the time I was with her, there was hardly cessation of one -minute between the claps of thunder. I do not say that in this there was -anything supernatural, but, knowing the business I was upon, it was truly -awful. - -"When I arrived at the house, I was informed that she was in a dreadful -state, and that the strength of two persons was necessary to keep her in -bed. I went up-stairs, and on entering into the room, before she saw me, -the curtains being drawn on the side where I entered, she turned to the -other side of the bed, and struggled so violently to get away that it was -with difficulty that her husband and two women overpowered her. In a few -minutes, before she had lifted up her eyes to see me (for she had turned -her face downwards) she stretched out her hand to me, in a convulsive -manner, and fell speechless and spent upon her back. - -"After a time she opened her eyes, and in a faint whisper, answered a -question that was put to her, and said she knew who I was. She revived by -degrees, and in a short time could speak in an audible voice. Her friends -having requested me to try if I could discover what it was that weighed -most upon her mind, for they said they had tried to no purpose, I -requested them to withdraw. Being alone, she related to me, as far as she -could recollect, the circumstances of her illness, and I found that they -corresponded exactly with the accounts given by her sister. I questioned -her as to the cause, but I could not discover that it was owing to -anything weighing heavy on her mind. She was positive, she said, that it -was the young man who had done her a mischief. - -"I then proceeded to explain to her some of the articles of the Catholic -Faith. She listened with every attention; and when I assured her that she -must believe the Holy Catholic Church before she could obtain relief, she, -without hesitation, declared that she did believe, and that she believed -from the moment she knew what holy water was, and experienced its effects. -From the time it was first applied, she said that the devils seemed to -keep at a greater distance from her, and that the number seemed to be -diminished. - -"Such were the ideas on her mind at the time. She was convinced, she said, -that it was not the effect of imagination--that she was not -delirious--that she knew everything that was said to her, and that she -could recollect everything that had passed. I asked her to tell me where -the holy water was. Her voice immediately faltered; and with every -endeavour, I perceived that she could not point out with her finger, nor -tell me by words where it was. She was like an infant attempting to point -out an object. - -"I looked about and found it. I dipped my finger into it, and made the -sign of the cross on her forehead. She started as soon as I touched her, -and was a little convulsed. I asked her what was the matter. For a few -moments she could not articulate; but as soon as she could speak, she said -that it scalded her. - -"After a little more conversation, I desired her to join with me in -repeating the Lord's Prayer. She consented, and without difficulty -repeated the first words. But when we came to the petitions, her voice -faltered; she was labouring for breath, and appeared to be almost -suffocated: her countenance and limbs were convulsed. The greatest -stammerer could not find greater difficulty in pronouncing words than she -did in pronouncing every word of the petitions. At one time I was inclined -to desist, thinking that it was impossible for her to finish it; but we -laboured on, and at length came to the end. - -"After a short pause, she again began to converse with a free voice, -without the least faltering. I explained to her the nature of exorcisms, -and proposed to read them over her. She consented, and said that she would -endeavour to offer up her prayers to God during the time in the best -manner she could. As soon as I began the exorcisms, she fell into a state -of convulsive agitation, not indeed endeavouring to get away; but every -limb, every joint seemed to be agitated and convulsed, even her -countenance was distorted,--it required constant attention to keep her -covered. - -"Now it was that I felt in a particular manner the awful situation in -which I was. All alone with a person in a distressed condition,--the -lightning flashing, the thunder rolling, and I with an imperative voice -commanding the evil spirit to reply to my interrogatories, and to go forth -from her. I acknowledge that my flesh began to creep and my hair to stand -on end. However, I proceeded on till I came to the conclusion, and nothing -happened except the violent agitation of the poor sufferer, which -continued uninterrupted during the whole time. - -"After I had finished, she became calm, and in a few minutes began to -converse with me with the same ease as before. Among other things, I asked -her whether she had felt any particular sensations during the time that I -was coming to see her? She said that during the whole afternoon she had -felt the most determined resolution to destroy herself; that she employed -every means to induce her friends to leave the room, or to make her escape -from them; and that if she had succeeded, she would have laid violent -hands on herself the moment she was at liberty. I explained to her the -nature of baptism, the necessity of receiving it, and the effects produced -by it. - -"During the course of our conversation, discovering that there were strong -reasons to doubt whether she had been baptized at all, or whether the -essential rites had been observed in her baptism, I conceived that it -would be advisable to re-baptize her conditionally. I proposed it, and -she readily consented. I gave her what instructions were necessary, and -repeated several acts of contrition. Finding her in dispositions the most -satisfactory, I made use of the holy water, and baptized her, subject to -the condition, _if she was not baptized_. During the time she trembled -like a leaf, and the features of her countenance were distorted, like -those of a person in acute pain. Upon my putting the question to her, she -replied as she did before, that it gave her as much pain as if boiling -water had been poured over her. - -"Immediately after the ceremony was concluded, she began to speak to me -with all the cheerfulness of a person in perfect health and spirits. We -conversed together for a few minutes, and I took my leave, promising to -see her again the next day. Her sister went to her, and her first request -was that she might have a cup of tea and something to eat; and before I -left the house, she eat and drank as she had done before her affliction. I -went to see her the next day, and found her down-stairs in perfect health; -at least, no effects of her illness were perceptible, except a weakness of -body. From that time to this, she has enjoyed good health, and not the -least symptom of her former complaint has been felt. It is more than a -twelvemonth since." - -A second example of successful exorcism, now to be narrated, is from the -pen of an eminent and well-known clergyman[44] of the Church of England, -whose literary labours in the early part of the Oxford movement, were -recognized and rewarded by high authority in the English Church. Only a -slight verbal alteration here and there to make the narrative of itself -quite intelligible, has been made by the Editor. - -"The subject is almost too sacred for pen; and I only put it on record to -show the goodness of God, and to indicate that His powers are not -withdrawn, nor His Arm shortened. It is some years, however, since the -event to be related happened; and the subject of it has long gone to his -last account. I must scrupulously refrain from any indication of place and -person; though, in these latter days of rude and coarse unbelief, when -such interpositions of the Almighty's mercy are laughed to scorn, _some_ -may find comfort and edification from its recital. - -"The son of a farmer, who had just come of age, having heard a sermon of -mine, which I had preached some five years previously, came a distance of -more than thirty miles to seek at my hands ghostly counsel. From his -childhood he had been led to indulge in breaches of the seventh -commandment, and these after a while were certainly of a heinous -character. He believed himself (when I saw him) to be possessed by an -unclean spirit. Wherever he went, he asserted that he saw a hideous black -figure, darkly draped, with a form like a man, but with the face of a -beast, sitting opposite to, huddled up, and staring at him. It would -appear for weeks together, at home, abroad, in his sleeping-room, in the -field, in the market. Sometimes he would throw himself on to the floor in -an agony of distraction, and pray God that it might be removed. For a -short term he would cease to see it. But in due course it reappeared. And -at last (an event which had never happened hitherto,) it would likewise -haunt him in dreams. On one occasion he declared that it seemed to -elongate itself into a long serpent-like figure, and, as he asserted, -tried to creep down his throat. But wherever he went he almost always saw -it. Thinking it might be the result of bodily ailment he consulted a -physician; but with no effect. - -"I am free to say that I was not long in coming to a conclusion, that it -was a case of possession; though I did not arrive at that conclusion until -I had taken counsel from one of the most pious and holy clergymen I ever -knew,[45] and had commended the subject to God Almighty in very earnest -prayer. - -"The result was that I unfolded to the subject of this apparition my -intention, with God's help, and his own sanction, to cast out the spirit, -according to the old rule and custom of Holy Church. Prior to this he made -a full and frank confession of his whole life, and resolved by God's help -to amend. Having made an appointment, a fortnight hence, with him, and -being resolved to consecrate my proposed act, by special deeds of fasting, -self-denial, and prayer, I was alarmed to hear, by letter, of his most -serious illness a few days later. His relations asserted that he was -suffering from epilepsy, and that the fits were rapid and most severe. - -"The following day, taking with me a book containing an authorized form of -exorcism, I went to see the sick man. His sufferings seemed to be -excruciating: his fits shocking to witness. At a half-lucid interval he -saw me; and, starting from his bed, tried to throw himself out of the -window. When he was calmer, I knelt down and prayed for him with his -relations; making several times an act of Faith. - -"Then signing him with the cross on forehead, mouth, and breast, I began -the authorized form. During this, his fits returned; and his violence and -ravings were terrible to witness. Throughout I felt sustained in my action -by a Higher Power, and completed my task in the Name of the Adorable and -Ever-Blessed Trinity. Here he sank into a deep sleep; and this sleep -proved to be the beginning of a complete change for the better. The fits -ceased, the body was no longer tortured with writhings; and, as I heard -from him afterwards, the hideous vision or apparition vanished, and was -never seen again. A few years afterwards he died, as I believe in grace; -and, as I commended his soul to God, so I committed his body to the dust; -and have always looked upon this remarkable event as a token, to myself -most unworthy, of the Almighty's power and Presence amongst us, as well as -of His exceeding great mercy and goodness to this poor sufferer." - -Another remarkable instance of the active and energizing powers of the -Church of God, unimpaired and uncrippled, may be gathered from the record -which follows of the sudden and effectual cure of -Francoise-Genevieve-Philippe, which took place in the church of the -Carmelites of Pontoise on the 16th of July, 1784, upon the Festival of Our -Lady of Mount Carmel. The record below is a literal translation of the -formal act and deed of the person cured:-- - -"I, the undersigned Francoise-Genevieve-Philippe, called in religion -'Sister Josephine-Mary of the Incarnation,' aged thirty years, declare -that my health being disordered at Pontoise, where I resided with the -Ursuline Dames for eleven years, I was advised to make a change of air; I -consequently withdrew to the Dames of the Congregation of -Trouvelle-les-Vernon, where I entered on the 16th of February, 1782. My -health continued bad in consequence of the frequent attacks of haemorrhage -to which I became subject. - -"On the 29th of December following I was seized with a violent headache, -beginning with a swoon, which lasted more than two hours, and with a -frightful haemorrhage. Suitable remedies were instantly administered to me -by skilful physicians, but in vain; and after this I was attacked with -convulsions, and the entire suspension of all motion in my body. - -"Different consultations were held at Paris; MM. Fume and Petit sent me -prescriptions which produced no effect. This sickness continued until the -13th of May, 1783, when I was removed into the town of my uncle's. All -these facts have been attested by the physicians and surgeons of Vernon, -by the testimony of M. Atadie, physician to his Serene Highness the Duke -of Penthievre, and of M. le Noble, physician, who had employed magnetism, -but without effect. These certificates, duly legalized by M. le -Lieutenant-General of the same town, attest that my disorder was deemed so -violent and incurable to the period when I decided upon returning to -Pontoise, hoping to recover my health by the means which it might please -God to employ. I arrived there on the 5th of August, 1783; from that time -my condition was precisely the same, namely habitual convulsions. I was -deprived of the use of my limbs, particularly of my right arm, in which -the convulsions were so violent that it was found necessary to fix and tie -it with a bandage. The left was not much better, for on merely touching -it, or on a change of weather, it experienced similar convulsions. Added -to this I was attacked violently with gout, which I felt all over my body, -but especially in my head and the extremities of my fingers. I was subject -to pains in my breast and stomach, so severe as to occasion me to spit -blood and to vomit up even the most liquid of my food. Sleep, of which I -had in general but little till this period, now became, as it were, a -stranger to me. My voice was for a month or six weeks almost extinct, and -there was not a part of my body which was not in a state of suffering; the -least noise became almost insupportable. - -"It is moreover to be remarked, that I never discovered, although always -valetudinary, what could be capable of occasioning such a malady. This is -a testimony I offer to truth. The persons who could not be ignorant of -what concerned their patient have made the same depositions.[46] - -"Such was my condition when they were proceeding at Pontoise, by order of -the Holy See, in the process of the beatification of the servant of God, -Marie de l'Incarnation, whose name in the world was Madame Acarie, -foundress of the Carmelites in France, who, having edified the World by -the virtues which characterize great souls, and consecrated at Carmel -three of her daughters, herself embraced this holy state under the humble -quality of converse-sister in the Convent of Carmelites at Amiens, and -died at that of Pontoise in the odour of sanctity on the 18th of April, -1618, aged fifty-two years. - -"The fame of this process revived my faith. I made a Novena to her, in -which the Carmelites, as well as many other pious persons, united. I not -only, during this Novena, took no medicines, but I told my physician: -'Perhaps, sir, you will smile at me when I tell you that I am performing a -Novena to the venerable Sister Marie de l'Incarnation, and that I hope -to-morrow to be taken to her tomb!' 'I commend your piety,' said he, 'to -make a Novena to that blessed person, but I do not equally commend the -step which you propose to take; I fear that none but bad consequences will -result from it.' I replied, as I had done to many other of my friends, -'that I had the firmest confidence of a cure.' - -"I persevered constantly in this moral and physical disposition until the -moment when I was carried in a sedan chair into the church of the -Carmelites. I was brought there at five o'clock in the morning. I heard -mass, and communicated without quitting my chair. Towards the moment of -elevation I felt severe pains throughout my whole frame, and seemed to -myself to be in such a state of weakness that I then thought if I were to -be communicated it would have been for the last time. A cold sweat spread -itself at that time over my whole body. The priest who gave me the Holy -Sacrament noticed that I was so weak that I could not hold the cloth upon -my knees. He was so much afraid from the paleness of my countenance and -the alteration he perceived in me, that in fear of some accident he put -the sacred ciborium almost close to my lips. - -"Finding me in this painful state, which announced rather a speedy -dissolution than a cure, I formed acts of submission to the Will of God. I -begged Him to accept the sacrifice of my life; I also thrice made the -prayer of the blind man, 'Son of David, have mercy on me;' the while -interiorly, having lost my power of articulation. I remained in that state -till the end of the mass, and finding my strength recovering I called my -nurse, and begged her to go and see if the chapel in which the precious -remains of the Venerable Sister Marie de l'Incarnation were deposited was -open, having the design to be carried there. But O bounty and mercy of the -Lord! at the very moment the people were preparing I quitted the chair -myself; my nurse came hastily upon me to stop me, imagining that this -movement was a last effort of nature. I corrected her, saying that I -thanked her, but that thanks be to God! I had no need of her help, and -instantly after, on the steps of the altar, returned thanks after -communion; for I did not as yet perceive the change that was made in me. I -was not sensible of it till after having made my thanksgiving, which was -near a quarter of an hour after. I then raised myself from the ground -filled with joy and consolation, finding I had recovered the use of my -limbs; my breast and stomach at ease and devoid of pain, enjoying -tranquillity altogether wonderful. I first ascended the seven steps of the -altar; and then went to the grate of the choir and thanked the community -for the prayers that they had the goodness to offer up for me; requesting -them to add still further their thanks to mine. I then turned towards the -Blessed Sacrament, where I remained on my knees on the ground without any -support during the period of three masses, which were said in succession. -I afterwards heard high mass, and assisted at the entire Office of the -Day, without the noise of chaunting, of the instruments, nor the great -concourse of people, occasioning me the slightest inconvenience. Although -I had to answer in the course of the day to more than four thousand -persons attracted by the novelty of the circumstance to the church of the -Carmelites, on the afternoon of the same day I went on foot to visit the -Ursuline Dames. - -"Done at Compiegne on the 12th of Feb. 1792. - - (Signed) "Francoise-Genevieve-Philippe, - - "Called in religion 'Sr. Josephine of the Incarnation,' Religious - Carmelite of the Monastery of the City of Compiegne, in which I had - the happiness to enter on the 20th of December, 1786, and to pronounce - my holy and inviolable engagements on the 22nd of July, 1788." - -Another point bearing very directly on the subject of this chapter here -suggests itself for some brief consideration:-- - -Deeds of benediction have been so universally recognized in history, that -it may be credibly maintained that the custom originated in the earliest -ages of the World's existence, either by a direct revelation from Heaven -or by the most elementary religious instinct of the immediate descendants -of our first parents. The heads of tribes, after the Flood, blessed their -children and followers. And, when the Patriarchal dispensation drew -towards its close, the power of blessing was exercised by the leaders and -chiefs of God's chosen people. Proof of all this is on record in the -Sacred Writings. He, therefore, who runs may read. And we may gather from -the same source that a form of blessing was attached to the priest's -office;[47] and that such blessing was efficient. All this is of course -taken for granted under the Christian dispensation; and it is evident that -the various forms of sacerdotal benediction are true means of bestowing -the Divine blessing and grace: and this, because of the salient principle -that the Fall of man from original righteousness, having effected a loss -of union with God Almighty, salvation is the renewal of that union by and -through Jesus Christ and His Church. Now, a Blessing, in the Name of God, -is bestowed by a superior upon an inferior.[48] Thus a bishop gives his -benediction to a priest, deacon, or layman; a priest to a layman; a father -or head of a family to a son or an inferior member of that same family; a -patriarch or chieftain to his tribe, or to any member of it. The blessing -of God is a great and mighty gift of grace, and has always been intimately -conjoined with the offering of sacrifice, and so particularly and -specifically with the offering of the Christian sacrifice, as also with -and by a benediction, some of the most solemn services of Holy Church have -been brought to an end. - -Of course, if there be a power to bless, there is, as has already been -pointed out, likewise a power to curse. Neither blessing nor curse may be -absolute in their effect, and all acts and deeds are done under God, or -with the permission of the Almighty. Of the results respectively of -blessings or curses we know but little. But the glimpses which History, -Revealed Religion, and Experience alike afford of those results are full -of interest, and are subjects for contemplation and study. Here, as in the -consideration of similar details, concerning the Supernatural, the Church -Universal should be our guide. Where she leads we should go: where she -directs we should follow. - -As bearing on this subject, it may be suitably pointed out that Mr. Robert -Southey in his "Common-Place Book" puts on record a very remarkable story -of "citation" by a man unjustly and cruelly murdered:-- - -"The Philipsons of Colgarth coveted a field like Ahab, and had the -possessor hung for an offence which he had not committed. The night -before his execution the old man (for he was very old) read the 109th -Psalm as his solemn and dying commination, verses 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, -14, 15, and 16." The verses contain a prayer for vengeance upon "the -wicked and deceitful, who have spoken with a lying tongue," and whose days -are to be few, and their children to be fatherless, their descendants -continually vagabonds and beggars, and their posterity to be cut off. "The -curse," Southey adds, "was fully accomplished; the family were cut off, -and the only daughter who remained sold laces and bobbins about the -country." - -Two remarkable and, as may be well believed, supernatural events occurred -(which may be fittingly recorded here) with regard to the cruel and -shameful death of Edmund Arrowsmith, a Roman Catholic priest of the county -of Lancaster, in the year 1628. He was born at Haddock in the parish of -Winwick, five miles from Warrington and seven from Wigan. His father was -Robert Arrowsmith, a yeoman, and his mother Margaret Gerard, of the -ancient and noble family of that name. His immediate ancestors had -suffered much for their religion. Edmund, their son, having been received -into the College at Douay in 1605, was eventually ordained priest at Arras -on December 9th, 1612. A year afterwards he was sent to England to -minister to his fellow religionists. One of his flock being exasperated -against him because he refused to marry him to his first cousin and had -rebuked him for evil-living, informed against him to the vigilant -authorities; and Arrowsmith, being apprehended, was sent to Lancaster -Castle, "for not having taken the oaths, and upon vehement suspicion that -he was a priest and a jesuit." The judge on circuit was Sir Henry -Yelverton. - -"Are you a priest, sir?" asked the judge, when the accused person was -brought before him. - -Arrowsmith, signing himself with the cross, replied, "My lord, I would to -God I were worthy." - -On the judge repeating the question Arrowsmith replied coolly, "I would I -were." - -When the accused, in reply to a minister on the bench, suggested a -disputation regarding religion, and claimed to defend his Faith, the judge -silenced him at once, and declared that he would not allow him to make any -defence at all. - -"I am ready, my lord, bear in mind," replied Arrowsmith, "not only to -defend it in words, but in deeds, and to seal it with my blood." - -The judge then told him, in an insulting and savage manner, that he should -die, and see his bowels burnt before his very face. - -"And you too must die, my lord, and that within a year."[49] - -Two indictments were framed against him: one for being a priest and a -jesuit, and the other for disparaging Protestantism; on these he was found -guilty of high treason, and ordered to die according to the law. To the -gaoler of the prison, the sheriff brought express commands from the judge -to load him with the heaviest irons in the Castle, and to lodge him in a -small cell where he could not lie down. This occurred on the 26th of -August, 1628, and he suffered death on the 28th of the same month. He was -dragged on a hurdle from the Castle to the place of execution, having -received absolution from a fellow prisoner, Mr. Southworth, in the Castle -yard. He was bound on the hurdle, and for greater ignominy with his head -to the horse's tail. The gallows and boiling caldron were set up about a -quarter of a mile distant from the Castle. The devotion and piety of this -holy and zealous man were as remarkable as his constancy and -fortitude,--graces which edified those who witnessed his sad end. He -offered himself up as a sacrifice thrice: once upon his knees at the foot -of the ladder, again on the ladder, which he kissed, and a third time just -before the halter was fastened round his neck; and then prayed fervently, -"O Sweet Jesus, I freely offer Thee my death, in satisfaction for my -sins." Then he was cast off, suffered to hang until he was dead--an act -of mercy, by no means ordinary or common--cut down, disembowelled, and -quartered; his head being placed on a pole amongst the pinnacles of the -Castle. It is recorded that the judge being vexed and annoyed with the -clever and luminous answers which Arrowsmith made when under examination, -in the hearing of so many, appeared to take a special pleasure in viewing -the execution from his lodgings, through a perspective glass; that he had -the curiosity to examine the four quarters of his body, which, by his -command, being brought to his apartment, he made an unnatural and shocking -comparison between them and a haunch or two of venison with which he had -that day been presented; and that he deliberately kicked the right hand of -the body in contempt. On leaving the town he ordered the martyr's head to -be placed on a pole six yards higher than the pinnacles of the Castle. - -The judge, sitting at supper at an inn on January 23, 1629, upon return -from circuit, felt a heavy blow, as if someone had struck him on the back -of the head; upon which he fell into a violent rage with, and severely -rated, the servant who was waiting upon him; who protested that he had not -struck him, nor did he see anyone strike him. A little while afterwards, -the judge felt another blow like the first; and, as some records say, a -third just as the meal was being ended. The blows he himself evidently -thought to have come from the hand of divine justice, for he exclaimed in -fear and trepidation: "That dog Arrowsmith hath killed me."[50] In great -terror he was carried to bed, and dying the next morning, the prophecy of -the holy priest regarding his death was exactly fulfilled. - -As regards the Hand of the sufferer, it was procured and treasured up by -his relatives the Gerards: and the following remarkable occurrence is -connected with it. - -In the year 1813 a young man named Joseph Lamb, then residing at Eccles, -near Trafford Hall, about four miles from Manchester, fell from a rick of -considerable height to the ground, and received a violent injury in the -back. He was so injured that he could neither stand nor walk and suffered -very considerable pain; but after many attempts had been made by -physicians to give him relief and effect a cure, his case at a later stage -was unanimously pronounced to be incurable. In religion he was a Roman -Catholic, having been converted to that ancient faith from being an -Anabaptist--a sect to which his father still belonged. Local circumstances -had led to his investigating the martyrdom of the venerable priest, Edmund -Arrowsmith, who, as already recounted, gave up his life in the cause of -God at Lancaster, on the 28th of August, 1628. Of this holy man a Hand had -been long and carefully preserved at Sir William Gerard's, of Garswood, -near Wigan, where it was and is deservedly venerated and held in respect -by all Roman Catholics. The sufferer Lamb, finding that the skill and -power of man could do nothing for him, conceived a firm conviction that it -would please the Almighty to restore him to health by the instrumentality -of this relic, and he consequently most earnestly and systematically -prayed to God that it might be so. His parents consequently, in response -to his urgent entreaties, on October 2nd, 1814, had him conveyed in a -covered cart from his own house near Trafford Hall to Garswood, a distance -of fourteen miles.[51] In a state of considerable suffering, and quite -unable to assist himself, he was lifted out of the cart and carried into -the Roman Catholic chapel, where he was placed before the altar. Then the -"Holy Hand," as it is termed, was brought forth; the sacred sign of the -cross was solemnly made over the affected part of the poor suffering man's -back; when, in an instant, he felt freedom from pain and found his former -health and strength perfectly restored. He immediately rose, stood up for -some time in prayer, and then walked, without any assistance whatsoever, -to his relatives and friends who were gathered at the chief entrance of -the chapel. He returned home quite recovered and perfectly well, and so -remained, up to the 19th of September, 1816.[52] The result of this -miraculous intervention was that several of his kinsmen and acquaintances -became converts to the religion which he had elected to follow; and these, -together with many Roman Catholics who became acquainted with Almighty -God's merciful visitation of him, joined in a solemn act of thanksgiving, -by assembling to sing the _Te Deum_ in the chapel of Garswood.[53] - -Thus, then, we see the prophecy of a Christian priest, who was unjustly -and illegally condemned and cruelly murdered, exactly and most strikingly -fulfilled; and a wonderful sign bestowed from God to man of Eternal Truth, -in the supernatural cure wrought some two centuries and more afterwards -upon this Lancashire farm-labourer. - -Here something may be properly put on record, regarding cases in which -visible marks and tokens of the Passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus -Christ have been supernaturally and miraculously impressed upon God's -saints and servants, in order to set forth before the eyes of man, as a -matter of _sight_ and not as a matter of _faith_, the truth of the -Revelation of Almighty God, through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. - -The first recorded instance of stigmatization is that of S. Francis of -Assisi, in the thirteenth century. From the life of this distinguished -saint, written by S. Bonaventure (chapters xii. and xv.), we gather the -following particulars of these remarkable phenomena. - -It was the custom of the saint, from time to time, to retire into the -solitudes of Mount Alverna, in the Apennines, in order the more easily to -give himself up to prayer and meditation. "While fasting there for forty -days, being in prayer, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, -and feeling within his soul an intense desire to be crucified with his -Lord, he beheld, descending from heaven towards him, a seraph, having six -wings as it were of fire.[54] When the celestial messenger came near to -him, there appeared between the wings the form of One crucified, with the -hands and feet stretched out upon the cross. Two wings rose above the -head, two were spread forth in flight, while the others veiled the whole -body." Francis felt a great joy at the apparition, and yet, at the same -time, a deep sorrow at beholding Him Whom his soul loved, so cruelly -fastened to the Cross, the thought of which pierced his heart as with a -sword of grief. It was presently revealed to him that he was to imitate -the Passion of our Lord. - -"The vision disappearing, his soul was filled with heavenly light, while a -marvellous sign was left imprinted on his limbs. On his hand and feet were -the marks of the nails, as he had beheld in the seraphic vision, and on -his right side was a wound, as if made by a lance's thrust. His hands and -feet appeared transfixed with the nails, their heads being seen in the -upper part of the feet, and the points on the reverse sides. The heads of -these nails were round and black, and the points somewhat long and bent, -as if turned back; so that between them and the skin there was the space -of a finger. They could be moved with ease; for on the one side they were -embedded in the flesh, whilst on the other they were clear of it: yet it -was not possible to draw them out, as we are assured by S. Clare, who, -after the saint's death, essayed to do so, but could not succeed. The -wound in the side was deep, and of the width of three fingers. It was red, -and the saint's habit was often stained by the blood which flowed from -it." - -These stigmata were seen during his life by the reigning Pope Alexander -with many of his cardinals; and after his death, by more than fifty -brethren together, by S. Clare and many of her sisters, and an innumerable -crowd of seculars, who came from all parts of the country to be witnesses -of these wonders. - -At the close of the seventeenth century, another case of stigmatization -occurred to Veronica Juliana, a nun; and her examination by the bishop of -her diocese, aided by several physicians, was of so strict and severe a -character, that deception on her part would have been quite impossible. - -In the early part of the same century, Joanna di Jesu Maria, a Spanish -nun, was subjected to even a more rigorous examination, before a court -composed of the Commissary of the Inquisition, the Suffragan Bishop, -several of the secular and regular clergy of the district, of many learned -men, and two distinguished physicians. In this case, the subject of the -phenomena bore not only the wounds on her hands, feet, and side, from -which blood and water frequently flowed, but also around her head, as from -the crown of thorns, a deep wound, which, in the opinion of the doctors, -penetrated to the skull. They, furthermore, declared by oath that the -wounds were not natural, and could not possibly be the effect of fraud. - -The most celebrated subjects of stigmata in our own days are Maria Moerl, -the Ecstatica of Caldamo, in the Tyrol, and Maria Domenica Lazzari, a -peasant girl of Capriana, whose cases were brought before the English -public by that late distinguished nobleman John, Earl of Shrewsbury, A. L. -M. P. De Lisle, Esq.,[55] the Rev. T. W. Allies, and others. - -The following account of Maria Moerl is abridged from that of Goerres, in -his work on the Supernatural, entitled "Christliche Mystik," which, -perhaps, is the most complete and detailed description published. After -giving a brief sketch of her life, which tells us that she was a girl of -great piety, also that at the age of eighteen she became a confirmed -invalid, and after receiving Holy Communion she always remained in an -ecstasy for several hours, we read, that "in the autumn of 1833, her -Confessor, Father Capistran, had by chance noticed that the parts of her -hands where the wounds afterwards appeared had begun to form in hollows, -as though impressed by some external substance, the parts, at the same -time, becoming the seat of considerable pain, accompanied by frequent -cramps." Soon afterwards, the wounds appeared on the hands, feet, and -side. On Thursdays and Fridays these places often ran with clear blood, -and were covered on other days with a scar of dried blood, without showing -any signs of inflammation. "In 1834, on the occasion of a solemn -procession, a new phase of her ecstasy developed itself, and one day -surprised her in the presence of several witnesses, when she was -transfigured with an angelic beauty, radiant and glorious as a heavenly -spirit, her arms extended to their extreme width in the form of a cross, -and her feet barely seeming to touch the bed on which she reposed. All -around could then plainly perceive the mysterious stigmata, and the matter -could no longer remain a secret." - -Of Maria Domenica Lazzari, who was born March 16th, 1815, and whose case -is no less remarkable than the above, Mr. Allies, then a clergyman of the -Church of England, wrote the following account, twenty-five years -ago:--"In August, 1833, she had an illness, not in the first instance of -an extraordinary nature; but it took the form of an intermittent fever, -confining her completely to her bed, and finally contracting the nerves of -her hands and feet so as to cripple them. On the 10th of January, 1834, -she received on her hands, feet, and left side, the marks of our Lord's -Five Wounds.... Three weeks afterwards, her family found her in the -morning covering her face in a state of great delight,--a sort of trance. -On removing the handkerchief, letters were found on it marked in blood, -and Domenica's brow had a complete impression of the crown of thorns, in a -line of small punctures about a quarter of an inch apart, from which the -blood was flowing freshly. They asked her who had torn her so. She -replied, 'A very fair lady had come in the night and adorned her.'... -From the time that she first received the stigmata, in January, 1834, to -the present time (account published in 1847), the wounds have bled every -Friday, with a loss of from one to two ounces of blood, beginning early in -the morning, and on Friday only. The above information (Mr. Allies -declares) we received from Signor Yoris, a surgeon of Cavalese, the chief -village of the district in which Capriana lies." - -Two additional and quite recent examples of stigmatization, most perfectly -and satisfactorily authenticated, demand to have the facts which are known -and admitted here set forth. The first is as follows:-- - -On the 30th January, 1850, was born at Bois d'Haine, a village in the -province of Hainaut, in Belgium, Anne Louise Lateau, the daughter of -Gregory and Adele Lateau. The family, though of humble condition, were at -the time in tolerably comfortable circumstances. The father was employed -as a workman in a neighbouring metal factory, and the cottage in which -they dwelt, together with the land on which it stood, was their own -property. But a sad change soon took place. On the 30th April, 1850, -Gregory Lateau died of small-pox, leaving the mother and three children -(the infant Louise and two little girls of two and three years of age) -unprovided for. To add to their distress, the widow Lateau was seriously -ill, and the infant had caught the small-pox. Abandoned by all, they were -in danger of perishing of starvation had they not been relieved by the -timely aid of a charitable neighbour. It was a long time, however, before -the mother's health was sufficiently restored to enable her to better -their condition by her own exertions. When eight years old, Louise was -sent to take charge of an old woman confined to her bed, and almost as -poor as themselves. She afterwards received five months' schooling, which -is all the education she has ever had. At eleven years old, having made -her first communion, she went as a servant to her aunt, with whom she -remained until her death, which occurred two years later. Her next -situation was with a lady at Brussels, but she was obliged to leave -through illness. On her recovery, she was again employed in a farm at -Manage, where she remained till called home by her mother, with whom she -has since lived, working as a dressmaker. With regard to her moral -character, one of its most important features is charity. During the -ravages of the cholera in Belgium, in 1866, she gave examples of the most -heroic devotedness--nursing the sick when their own relations had fled in -dismay, laying out the dead, and, in some instances, even conveying them -to the cemetery. For the rest, she is of a cheerful disposition, simple -and straightforward in her manner, possessed of good sense, without -smartness or enthusiasm. Owing to the small amount of instruction she has -received, her education is limited, but has been much improved by her own -exertions. She speaks French with tolerable fluency, but is unable to -write correctly or read with ease. The mother of Louise is fifty-eight -years of age, of a frank and outspoken character, upright and religious. -Though poor, she refuses to receive any pecuniary assistance, and -manifests great reluctance to the introduction of the numerous visitors -attracted to her cottage from all parts of the world by the wonderful -accounts respecting her daughter. We now come to the consideration of -those phenomena which for nearly six years have been exciting such -universal interest. On Friday, the 24th April, 1868, manifestations of an -extraordinary character commenced with a flow of blood from the chest. The -young girl, with her accustomed reserve, made no mention of the fact; but -as on successive Fridays the bleeding extended to the feet and hands, -concealment became no longer possible. The phenomenon, as it now appears, -is thus described by Dr. Lefebvre:-- - -"If in the course of the week, from Saturday to Thursday morning, an -inspection is made of the parts from which blood flows on the Friday, this -is what is seen:--On the back of each hand there is a rather oval surface, -nearly one inch in length. It is rather more pink in colour, and it is -smoother than the neighbouring skin, and does not show a trace of oozing -of any kind. On the palm of each hand there is also an oval surface of a -light pink colour, corresponding precisely to the stigmatized surface of -the back. On the upper aspect of each foot, the impress has the shape of a -long square with rounded angles, the square being a little more than an -inch long. To conclude, there are on the soles of the feet, as on the -palms of the hands, small surfaces of pinkish white colour. - -"... The first symptoms indicative of the approaching efflux of blood -occur on the Thursday, generally about noon. On each of the pink surfaces -already described on the hands and feet, a vesicle is seen to commence, -and to rise little by little. When completely developed, it is a rounded -hemispherical prominence on the surface of the skin; its base is the same -size as the pink surface on which it rests--that is, nearly an inch long, -by a little more than half an inch broad. This vesicle is formed by the -epidermis detached from the dermis, and elevated as a half sphere by -serous liquid within." - -We again quote some of the medical details:-- - -"The phenomenon occurs thus:--The vesicle bursts, and the contained -serosity escapes. This occurs in different ways--sometimes by a rent -lengthways, sometimes by a crucial or a triangular division. In the last -case, the rupture of the vesicle suggests the puncture of a leech; but -this is a mere resemblance, to prove which it is enough to ascertain the -entire absence on the hands and feet of those three-cornered white and -indelible scars which always follow leech-bites. But a still more -decisive observation is that this triangular rent only divides the -epidermis; in fact, if this be removed by rubbing with a cloth, the little -wound is no longer seen, and the true skin is found to be quite intact. -Directly after the rupture of the vesicle and the escape of the fluid, -blood begins to ooze from the bare derma. - -"The flow of blood always detaches the piece of scarf-skin that makes the -vesicle, so that the bleeding surface of the true skin is quite bare; -sometimes, however--and especially on the palms of the hands and the soles -of the feet, where the epidermis is very tough--the blood collects, and -forms a clot in the partly-torn vesicle."[56] - -The general appearance of the wound in the side on Friday is as -follows:--The blood issues from three small points of a triangular form at -the distance of half an inch from each other. A vesicle has also been -observed similar to those upon the hands and feet. On its bursting, the -blood flowed through the derma or thick skin over a round surface of the -diameter of about half an inch. - -The bleeding on the forehead commenced on Friday, the 25th September, -1868, and, at the present time,[57] takes place every week, and has -extended round the whole of the head. The bleeding circlet on the forehead -forms a band of two fingers' breadth in width, and the blood oozes from -twelve or fifteen points. There is no appearance of vesicle, nor is the -skin discoloured. - -The second extraordinary account of a young girl, who is now marked with -the stigmata, is furnished by the Rev. F. Prendergast, of San -Francisco:[58]-- - -"Miss Collins was born in England; both her parents are Roman Catholics. -About two years and a half ago she was a pupil at the Convent of Notre -Dame. On her return to this city she left her father's home, and with a -friend, Miss Armer, commenced the practice of charitable acts--visiting -the sick, clothing the destitute, and instructing little children. Many of -the charitable persons of the city co-operate with Miss Collins, Miss -Armer, and an elderly lady who keeps house for them, in their good works. -The archbishop approved of this semi-religious order, and has paid the -house rent of these ladies since they began this practice. Miss Collins -has always been in delicate health, and has frequently received the last -sacraments of the Church, given to those in a dying condition. She has had -periodical attacks of heart disease, and intense pulmonary congestion. -Soon after Miss Collins and Miss Armer entered upon their charitable and -self-denying duties, the former was prostrated by a return of her -complaint. She recovered but slowly and imperfectly, and on January 2nd, -at the children's festival in the basement of S. Mary's Cathedral, she was -seized with a most violent attack. She was taken to her residence; and two -or three days afterwards was again seized with congestion of the lungs, -followed by congestion of the brain. The attending physician, herself, and -all her friends were convinced that there was no hope of her recovery. She -took leave of those who stood by her bedside, and made her final -preparations for death. On Wednesday, January 8th, she was all day in -convulsions.... Towards six o'clock she grew better, but on the night of -the third day became speechless, and was compelled to write her wants and -wishes in pencil. - -"At twelve o'clock that night, Miss Armer and the nurse, who watched by -her bedside, believed her to be dying, if not dead. They recited the -prayers for the departing soul, and held the blessed candle by her hand, -according to the custom of the Church. Presently Miss Collins closed her -eyes and drew a long breath. They then believed her to be dead; but to -their utter amazement and bewilderment she revived, and made signs that -she wished to write. They gave her the pencil and paper, and she wrote as -follows: 'Put three drops of the water from the font of Our Lady of La -Salette in my mouth, and say three Hail Maries with me before the -crucifix.' They complied with the instructions, and perceived that she -joined mentally in the recital of the prayers. As soon as ended, she -reached out her hands for the crucifix, and kissed, with an expression of -great devotion, the Five Wounds of our Blessed Saviour. She then intimated -that she wished to have a little water. They gave her some, and she -immediately rose up and declared, with a beaming and heavenly countenance, -that she was cured; and she called on her companions, Miss Armer and the -nurse, to join her in saying the rosary for the sick. She wished to -recite the principal parts of the devotion herself, but yielding to the -request of Miss Armer, only made the responses in a clear and loud voice. -She then requested her companions to retire, but seeing they had some -objections, told them she would set the example. She laid down quietly, -and slept without motion or sign till morning, when she ate heartily, and -seemed quite restored to health. Since then she has never for a moment -suffered from any of those diseases to which she had been before a victim, -and which had more than once brought her to death's door. - -"On being questioned about her recovery, she stated to her confessor, her -companions, and others of her friends, that immediately previous to her -recovery the Blessed Virgin spoke to her in a voice clear and musical, but -as if it were coming from afar, directing her what to do in order to -obtain her health, approving her manner of life, and giving her some -counsels for her own guidance. Her recovery was regarded by all conversant -with the facts as being a miraculous one; and, contrasting her subsequent -excellent health with her former miserable condition, there seems to be no -reason to doubt but that she was saved by the merciful interposition of -the Supreme Power of God. - -"After some weeks she experienced, without any assignable natural cause, -an intense pain in her temples, which caused her indescribable anguish. -These sufferings suddenly passed away, but in the course of some days -returned with equal violence. So far there were no perceptible marks on -any portion of her body, but during her sufferings on the Feast of the -Five Wounds of our Lord she felt an acute pain in her head, her side, in -both hands, and in both feet. On the Friday before Good Friday, the Feast -of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin, she experienced pains in the -same parts, and on that day the stigmata, or marks of our Saviour's -Wounds, became clearly visible on the backs of her hands, and blood oozed -from her left side, near the heart. - -"Several persons witnessed the stigmata on this occasion, but were loth to -reveal the fact, preferring to await further developments. That night the -pains passed away, and her usual health returned. On Holy Thursday the -same sufferings were experienced, commencing in the afternoon and becoming -very intense during Thursday night. On Friday the stigmata appeared on the -surfaces of both hands and on the upper surface of both feet. Blood also -oozed from her side. During the day her sufferings were indescribable, and -were witnessed by a large number of people.[59] The stigmata and -suffering continued unabated until twelve o'clock on Friday night, when -she suddenly experienced some relief, and was able, for the first time in -twenty-four hours, to take a little water. On the next day she attended -divine service in church, and has since been in the enjoyment of excellent -health. The marks of the stigmata remain on her hands and side. She has -never, at any time during her sufferings, been unconscious, except when -they were so intense as to cause momentary delirium. She prayed -continually, and her countenance, ordinarily indicating extreme agony, -occasionally relaxed into a sweet and heavenly smile. At times her hands -were extended in the form of a crucifix, and became so rigid in that -position that it was impossible to move them."[60] - -As serving still further to illustrate the subject of this chapter, it -should be known that Dr. John Milner, F.S.A., Vicar Apostolic of the -Midland District of England (a prelate eminent both for his high character -and great literary ability), records a supernatural cure, the subject of -which was personally known to himself. - -"On March 15, 1809, Mary Wood, living at Taunton Lodge, near Taunton, in -Somersetshire, in attempting to open a sash-window, pushed her left hand -through a pane of glass, which caused a very large and deep transverse -wound in the inside of the left arm, and divided the muscles and nearly -the whole of the tendons that lead to the hand; from which accident she -not only suffered at times the most acute pain, but was, from the period -the bishop saw her [March 15, 1809], until some time in July, totally -deprived of the use of her hand and arm."[61] What passed between the -latter end of July, when, as the surgeon states, "he left his patient with -no hope of her recovery or of restoring her," until the 6th of August, on -the night of which she was miraculously cured, can be gathered from a -Letter to Bishop Milner, dated November 19th, 1809, by her amanuensis Miss -Maria Hornyold, of the ancient family of that name: - -"The surgeon gave little or no hopes of the girl ever again having the use -of her hand; which, together with the arm, seemed withered and somewhat -contracted; only saying [that] in some years Nature might give her some -little use of it, which was considered by her superior as a mere delusive -comfort. Despairing of further human assistance toward her cure, she -determined, with the approbation of her said superiors, to have recourse -to God, through the intercession of S. Winifred by a Novena.[62] -Accordingly on the 6th of August she put a piece of moss from the Saint's -Well on her arm, continuing recollected and praying, &c., when, to her -great surprise, the next morning she found that she could dress herself, -put her arm behind her, and to her head, having regained the free use and -full strength of it. In short, she was perfectly cured." - -So much for this portion of Miss Hornyold's narrative. Now, reverting to -Bishop Milner, his testimony to the fact of the cure having been effected -is here set forth: - -"In this state I myself saw her a few years afterwards, when I examined -her hand; and in the same state she still continues, at the above-named -place, with many other highly credible vouchers, who are ready -respectively to attest these particulars." - -The conclusion of Miss Hornyold's Letter is as follows: - -"On the 16th of the month the surgeon was sent for, and being asked his -opinion concerning Mary Wood's arm, he gave _no hope of a perfect cure_, -and little of her ever having _even the least use of it_; when she, being -introduced to him and showing him the arm, which he thoroughly examined -and tried, he was so affected at the sight and the recital of the manner -of the cure, as to shed tears, and exclaim, 'It is a special interposition -of Divine Providence.'" - -The case of Winifred White, a young woman of Wolverhampton, suddenly and -miraculously cured, is not less important and interesting:--"The disease -from which she was suffering," writes Bishop Milner, "was one of the most -alarming of a topical nature of any that is known, namely a curvature of -the spine, as the physician and surgeon ascertained, who treated it -accordingly, by making two great issues, one on each side of the spine, of -which the marks are still imprinted on the patient's back. Secondly, that -besides the most acute pains throughout the whole nervous system, and -particularly in the brain, this disease of the spine produced a -_hemiplegia_, or palsy of one side of the patient, so that when she could -feebly crawl, with the help of a crutch under her right arm, she was -forced to drag her left leg and arm after her, just as if they constituted -no part of her body. Thirdly, that her disorder was of long continuance, -namely, of three years' standing, though not in the same degree till the -latter part of that time, and that it was publicly known to all her -neighbours and a great many others. Fourthly, that having performed the -acts of devotion which she felt herself called upon to undertake, and -having bathed in the fountain [at Holywell in Flintshire], she, _in one -instant of time_, on the 28th of June, 1805, found herself freed from all -pains and disabilities, so as to be able to walk, run, and jump like any -other young person, and to carry a greater weight with the left arm than -with the right. Fifthly, that she has continued in this state these -thirteen years, down to the present time; and that all the above-mentioned -circumstances have been ascertained by me in the regular examination of -the several witnesses of them, in the places of their respective -residences, namely in Staffordshire, Lancashire, and Wales, they being -persons of different counties, no less than of different religions and -situation of life."[63] - -The result of a solemn Curse, made in the Name of Almighty God, by one who -had been greatly and grievously wronged, is recorded and not unsuitably -here, it is hoped, in the following remarkable narrative--one fresh -evidence of the existence of the Supernatural amongst us, had we only eyes -to see and ears to hear. - -The younger son of a Nova Scotia baronet, under promise of marriage, -betrayed the only surviving daughter of a Northumbrian yeoman of ancient -and respectable family, nearly allied to a peer, so created in William the -Fourth's reign. She was a person of rare beauty and of considerable -accomplishments, having received an education of a very superior character -in Edinburgh. After her betrayal she was deserted by her lover, who fled -abroad. The night before he left, however, at her earnest request, he met -her in company with a friend with the avowed intention of promising -marriage in the future, when his family (as he declared) might be less -averse to it. After-events show that this was merely an empty promise, and -that he had no intention of fulfilling it. A long discussion took place -between the girl and her betrayer, in the presence of the female friend in -question, a first cousin of her father. High words, strong phrases, and -sharp upbraidings were uttered on both sides; until at last the young man -in cruel and harsh language, turning upon her fiercely, declared that he -would never marry her at all, and held himself, as he maintained, -perfectly free to wed whom he should choose. "You will be my certain -death," she exclaimed, "but death will be more welcome than life." "Die -and be ----," he replied. At this the girl, with a wail of agony, swooned -away. On her recovery she seemed to gather up her strength to pronounce a -Curse upon him and his. It was spoken in the Name of the One Living and -True God. She uttered it with deliberation, yet with wildness and -bitterness, maintaining that she was his wife, and would haunt him to the -day of his death; declaring at the same time to her relation present, "And -you shall be the witness." He left the place of meeting without any -reconciliation or kind word, and, it was believed, went abroad. In less -than five months, in giving birth to her child, she died, away from her -home, and was buried with it (for the child, soon after its baptism, died -likewise) in a village churchyard near Ambleside. Neither stone nor -memorial marks the grave. Her father, a widower, wounded to the quick by -the loss of his only daughter, pined away and soon followed her to his -last resting-place. - -Five years had passed and the female cousin of the old yeoman, being -possessed of a competency, had gone to live in London, when, on a certain -morning in the spring of the year 1842, she was passing by a church in the -west end, where, from the number of carriages waiting, she saw that a -marriage was being solemnized. She felt mysteriously and instinctively -drawn to look in. On doing so, and pressing forwards towards the altar, -she beheld to her astonishment, the very man, somewhat altered and -weather-worn, who had caused so much misery to her relations, being -married (as on inquiring she discovered) to the daughter of a rich city -merchant. This affected her deeply, bringing back the saddest memories of -the past. But, as the bridal party were passing out of the church, and she -pushed forward to look, and be quite sure that she had made no mistake, -both herself and the bridegroom at one moment saw an apparition of her -relation, the poor girl whom he had ruined, dressed in white, with flowing -hair and a wild look, holding up in both hands her little infant. Both -seemed perfectly natural in appearance and to be of ordinary flesh and -blood. There was no mistaking her certain identity. This occurred in the -full sunshine of noon and under a heavy Palladian Porch in the presence of -a crowd. The bridegroom turned deathly pale in a moment, trembled -violently, and then, staggering, fell forward down the steps. This -occasioned a vast stir and sensation amongst the crowd. It seemed -incomprehensible. The bridegroom, said the church officials in answer to -inquiries, was in a fit. He was carried down the steps and taken in the -bridal carriage to his father-in-law's house. But it was reported that he -never spoke again; and this fact is mentioned in a contemporary -newspaper-account of the event. Anyhow his marriage and death appeared in -the same number of one of the daily papers. And although the family of the -city merchant knew nothing of the apparition, what is thus set forth was -put on record by the lady in question, who knew the mysterious -circumstances in all their details; which record is reasonably believed by -her to afford at once a signal example of retributive justice and a marked -piece of evidence of the Supernatural. Names, for obvious reasons, are not -mentioned here. The truth of this narrative, however, was affirmed on -oath by the lady in question, before two justices of the peace, at -Windsor, on October 3, 1848, one of whom was a beneficed clergyman in the -diocese of Oxford, well known to the Editor of this volume,--to whom this -record was given, in the year 1857 (when he was assistant-minister of -Berkeley Chapel), by a lady of rank who worshipped there. - -Here, accounts of two cases of miraculous cure through and by the Blessed -Sacrament will be suitably and fittingly introduced. The first is from the -pen of a well-known mission-preacher of the Church of England, and -occurred in the diocese of London: the second, equally remarkable, took -place in the diocese of Metz. - -The introductory remarks, so full of truth and piety, which immediately -precede the first narrative, have an equal bearing on that which follows. -Both are instances of God's extraordinary mercy and goodness to the -children of men. - -"The Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord works its effects -not only on the soul of man, but also on his body. We need not be -surprized at this, for if the body is affected by the soul, so that a -person depressed in mind often falls sick in body; and, on the contrary, -if good spirits are of great use in preserving bodily health--as indeed we -frequently see,--if this be the case, may we not expect that the -Sacrament, which only reaches the soul through the body, will have some -influence on that body through which they are transmitted. The Blessed -Sacrament, then, when worthily received, affects the body in three ways. -First, it tends to moderate what is called 'concupiscence,' that is those -natural appetites and desires of the body which dwell in the flesh and -tempt to sin. And this we learn from the words of the prayer of Humble -Access in the Communion Service--that our sinful bodies may be made clean -by His Body. - -"Secondly, the Blessed Sacrament gives to our bodies glory in the Day of -the Resurrection. - -"Our Lord says, 'He that eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood hath -Eternal Life, and I will raise him up at the last day.' Not that all men -will not rise from the dead at that day, but that the wicked will rise -with hideous bodies, and the righteous only with bodies like unto our -Lord's own Body; whilst the glory also of those who are saved will differ -one from another. And so S. Paul writes, 'One star differeth from another -star in glory.' - -"Thirdly, the Blessed Sacrament sometimes works the cure of sick persons -who receive it with faith. Of course this is not often the case, for if -miracles were common they would cease to be miracles. Moreover, there is -but little faith now-a-days, and even when our Lord walked in the flesh -there were some places in which He did not do many mighty works because of -their unbelief. Also He worked bodily cures the rather during His earthly -ministry; because when He gives these more excellent gifts it is less -necessary for Him to show this power by miracles of healing. It pleases -Him however, sometimes even now, to cure bodily sickness by his bodily -touch, and a case of this sort we will now relate:-- - -"I. Two or three years ago there lived in one of our great cities a poor -woman of devotion and faith. She attended a church where the Holy -Eucharist was frequently celebrated, and the true faith believingly -taught. She received the faith gladly, and lived up to it, communicating -regularly and with devotion. It befell her, however, to be taken with -sickness, which brought on lockjaw, so that she could not eat, and only -small portions of nourishment could be given her through an opening in her -teeth. She was in this state several days, looking forward to certain -death. - -"At last, thinking more of the suffering which her loss would bring upon -her family than upon any fear of death in her own heart, she said to her -husband, 'Surely, the Lord Jesus is very merciful and would restore me to -health if we were to ask Him. For how dreadful would it be for the poor -children to be left without a mother! I have heard of a woman who was -cured of a sickness by our Lord when the doctors gave her up. Why should -we not ask Him to cure me?' Thus she spoke, and her husband agreed with -her, that they would ask this of the Lord. - -"The priest of the church which they attended was visiting the poor -woman, and next time he came she told him of what she had thought, and -asked whether it would be wrong to pray for this object. Seeing the faith -of the poor people, he could not say anything against it, only exhorting -them to be ready to accept the Will of the Lord whatever it might be. 'It -is not wrong,' said he, 'to pray to the Lord for restoration to health, so -long as we add, "Not my will but Thine be done."' - -"Accordingly he arranged that they should have a special Celebration of -the Blessed Sacrament with that intention--to ask of our Lord the cure of -the poor mother. The time was fixed. The woman was to be present herself, -and to communicate, and the priest promised to ask some other devout -people to attend and unite in prayer for the same object. - -"At the hour appointed the priest was at the altar, a little body of -devout persons was gathered in the church, and the poor woman was brought -there, suffering, but still with good hope. The service proceeded; the -prayer of Consecration was said; the Lamb of God was upon the altar, and -the priest pleaded the one true and perfect and all-sufficient Sacrifice -on behalf of the poor sufferer, and prayed for her recovery, as did also -herself and her friends. Having communicated himself, the priest brought -the Holy Sacrament to the woman, giving her only a small particle, such as -she could receive between her teeth, and then the chalice of the Lord's -Blood. The faithful now communicated; the remainder of the service was -said, the Priest gave the Peace and Blessing, and the last Amen was said. -Then the woman fell down in a sort of swoon; but it only lasted a short -time, for presently she got up, opened her mouth, and said, 'I am quite -well.' Yes! The Lord had heard her. We were astonished with joy, and -joined in hearty thanksgiving to God for the miracle which he had wrought. -The woman walked home, to the great delight of her family, and was able to -return to her ordinary work. - -"A fortnight after the event, the writer of this narrative[64] saw the -woman, and heard from her own lips, as well as from the Priest, the -account of the miracle, which he has related as nearly as he can remember -it. - -"We are not to be anxious for miracles, nor to crave after signs; but when -it pleases God to work such as this, it seems to be right for His glory, -and for the dignity of the Most Holy Sacrament, that His mercy should be -made known; and is it not joy to every faithful heart, that the Lord -should manifest His power over all His works, and show to men His tender -compassion of the sick and suffering?" - -II. The second case is thus related. It bears a remarkable similarity to -that just set forth:-- - -"Anne de Clery, the subject of the extraordinary cure about to be -recorded, was at school in the Convent of the Sacred Heart, at Metz, in -the year 1855. She was then thirteen years of age, and her health and -spirits good. Previously she had lived two years in Africa, where her -father still resides,[65] and occupies the post of Notary-General to the -Imperial Court at Algiers. Madame de Clery's health having suffered from -the climate, she returned to Metz with her two daughters, the youngest of -whom--Anne--was very uneasy about her mother's health, and prayed -fervently for her recovery, offering herself to suffer the pains of -sickness in her stead. Anne's illness, which was of a very distressing -nature, commenced in the Holy Week of 1856, and continued steadily to -increase, in spite of the prescriptions of the first physicians at Metz, -Aix in Savoy, and Paris. Remedies of every possible kind--some of them of -a terribly severe character--were tried, but without the smallest result, -except to increase the sufferings of the poor patient. The Paris -physician, at length (in the year 1857), pronounced her case to be -incurable. He says: 'Mdlle. Anne is labouring under the disease known by -the name of "muscular and atrophical paralysis." I very much apprehend -that no remedies can touch the disease.' The sufferings of the poor girl -were continuous and severe. Her limbs were deprived of power and strength; -they shrank and contracted, and the muscles under each knee produced a -sort of knot which no power on earth could untie. She would be, as far as -man could foresee, a cripple as long as she lived. Anne de Clery was, -however, resigned to the Will of God, and supported her heavy trial by a -deep piety and constant prayer. At times her faith suggested the -possibility of a miraculous cure; but she scarcely hoped or wished for -such a wonderful favour. She had a particular devotion to the Blessed -Sacrament; and every week the priest brought her the Holy Communion, which -was her greatest support and consolation. She employed her time, when -able, though in the recumbent position, and unable to lift her head, in -embroidering altar-cloths, and making artificial flowers for the adornment -of the sanctuary. It was while thus preparing for the devotion known as -'the Forty Hours' Adoration' in the parochial church of S. Martin at Metz, -in the year 1865, that the thought sometimes crossed her mind that she -might be cured by the Blessed Sacrament. But she was slow to encourage an -idea which might be an illusion, and deprive her of her resignation and -peace of mind. The devotion above mentioned was to take place on the 12th, -13th, and 14th of June. On the first two days it was impossible to carry -her to the church (whither she had not been taken for a long while), her -pains were so severe; but on the third day, with the greatest difficulty, -and at the cost of much suffering, after having received Communion, she -was carried to the church by her maid Clementine, who sat on a bench and -held her on her knees. Madame de Clery and Mdlle. de Coetlosquet knelt -close beside her; but neither Anne nor her friends were expecting the -extraordinary event about to follow. - -"After a few moments' rest Anne became absorbed in devotion, and prayed as -she often did at the moment of Communion: 'Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst -cure me.' At the same instant she felt so violent a pain in her whole -body, that it was all she could do not to scream out. She prayed for -strength to bear it, and resigned herself to God's will. Then, she says, -she felt filled with faith and hope, and became conscious that she was -cured. Anne threw herself immediately upon her knees and said to her -companions, 'Pray, pray; I am cured!' Madame de Clery overcome with -emotion, in a state of bewilderment, led her daughter out of the church, -scarcely believing the evidence of her senses when she saw her standing -alone and able to walk. She ascertained that the knots under her -daughter's knees had entirely disappeared; and then Anne returned to the -church, where she remained kneeling in praise and thanksgiving before the -Blessed Sacrament for three-quarters of an hour, without feeling the least -fatigue. - -"Her cure was complete; all the ailments that had afflicted her -disappeared, leaving behind no trace of illness. Eleven days after her -cure, Anne walked through the streets of Metz in a procession of the -Blessed Sacrament, which lasted an hour and a quarter, to the astonishment -and admiration of all who had known her former sad condition. Her -physician, when he saw her rise and walk to meet him, said, 'Mademoiselle, -what men could not effect, God has done.'"[66] - -The Editor has been furnished with many similar accounts; some coming -before him on slender testimony: others on testimony which it is -impossible either to weaken or to reject. In some cases strange and -supernatural events which have occurred of late years--beautiful glimpses -of the unseen world--are treasured up by those who were the direct -subjects of them, though considerable difficulty is experienced in -obtaining such satisfactory attestations of their authentication, (owing -to the fact that persons naturally shrink from publicity,) as would -warrant their appearance in this volume. - -Before this chapter is closed, however, it may be well to add the -following, from the pen of an English clergyman well known to the Editor, -which possess some inherent interest: - -"This passed under my own eyes a few weeks back. A little child, three -years old, daughter of highly-respectable but poor parents, was -accidentally burnt to death--fell upon the grate, and lingered only some -two hours, it might have been supposed in frightful tortures. Her mother, -who blamed herself for leaving the child even for a moment, seemed in -imminent danger of losing her reason, and was in a state of terrible -despair. The little one raised herself to say, 'Mother, don't cry! I'm -going to die;' and then pointing, added, '_Don't you see that Good Man who -stands there and waits for me?_' This from a child of three years old. - -"Let those who choose, elect to believe that this was an optical delusion: -those who honestly believe that the angels of little children do behold -His Father's face, and doubt not that angels minister to the heirs of -salvation, will probably arrive at a different conclusion."[67] - -Here is another remarkable case of the Supernatural, provided by the same -clergyman:-- - -"A lady of my acquaintance, a woman of great intellectual powers, with a -keenly satirical and inquiring mind, chastened, however, by Christian -faith and love--a most devout communicant--was the voucher of these facts. - -"Retiring to rest some years ago, late at night, she happened, on her way -to her room, to look out of a window which opened on a court behind the -house. To her surprise (she was not in the least a superstitious person, -nor had her mind been travelling in a ghostly direction), she saw standing -beneath the window, in the full rays of the moonlight, the figure of a -child in white clothing, the arms crossed in prayer, the face inclining -forward, with a kind of white cowl or head-covering, from the body of -which child rays seemed to pass. She was not terrified, but amazed; and -after gazing fixedly some little while, during which the figure did not -move, she went to her room, and sent the nurse down to fetch something, -where she would be likely to see the figure, without saying anything about -it to her. The nurse returned speedily, white with fear, saying, 'Ma'am, -did you see that wonderful thing all shining?' The lady inquired what she -meant. The servant's impressions were identical with her own. Neither of -them went to look again; but the lady thought within herself, that this -might be a warning sent from God to prepare her for the death of an elder -child, a daughter, whose figure and bearing, she thought, resembled that -of the child enshrouded in white linen in the yard; and she consequently -entertained a dread that that daughter might be taken from her. This did -not prove the case; but as another younger child--the very darling of the -mother's heart, and an infant at the time of this singular -apparition--grew older, the idea was _borne in_ strongly upon the lady's -mind, that that younger child would be taken from her about the time when -it attained the apparent age and stature of the mysterious visitant, who -seemed to be a little girl of about five years old. This, doubtless, might -be a fancy only: she had not seen the face, only the figure; and when this -dear little one--a peculiarly sweet and engaging child--actually sickened, -and at last, after a long illness, died, at about this age, the mother did -not dare take to herself the consolation it seemed likely to afford her, -as a foreshadowing of her child's beatified rest. On the contrary, the -mother's heart was distracted with doubts and fears.... There had been no -direct communion with God, as far as man could judge, near the last; -rather a certain fretfulness, a turning from God to man, a clinging to the -mother as her all. The Christian's heart was almost paralysed by the vast -and unspeakable terror which took possession of her soul. Was her dear one -indeed saved?... Although she thought all day long of this child,--I knew -her at the time, and she seemed consumed by grief, fast breaking, though -never was God's house opened without her finding her way thither,--she had -never once dreamt of her, or seen her in her dreams, much to her own -surprise, and despite the constant craving of her aching heart. But at -last, one night she dreamt, and thus: that she had risen from her bed, and -was standing in her chamber; that the door softly opened, and her little -one came and sat upon the threshold, sweetly smiling. 'What, my own -darling! (she thought she said,) are you come back again to me?' 'Yes, my -mamma,' replied the child. 'And are you happy, dearest?' 'Yes, quite -happy; but not for anything I have done,--only for the merit of my Lord.' -The mother advanced and embraced her child, and thus embracing she awoke. -And now wonderfully was it borne in upon her that the midnight apparition -of so many years ago and the child of her dream were one. Her dream was so -real, that she could not but receive it as a divine intimation, a direct -answer to her prayers. She now felt and believed that her dear one was in -Paradise. For some weeks, despite her longings to renew the vision, she -saw her child no more. Then she did so once again, in a dream. She was -crossing a radiant garden, where she knew not; in its centre was a stately -hall or cupola, and on the marble steps which led to it stood her sweet -one, looking pure and blessed. The mother bounded towards her, when she -espied, within the hall, at the further end of a corridor or long passage, -the form of another child of hers still living! This sight terrified her; -she shrieked out, and shrieking she awoke. That child lives still, and may -it long be preserved to the mother's prayers! But meanwhile, it is not a -little remarkable, that during nearly three years which have elapsed, -despite every effort on the mother's part, she has never once dreamt of -her darling! This is what contributes, with the vision of the radiant -child at first, to impart a supernatural character to the whole -transaction, and take these visitations out of the category of ordinary -dreams. On my own mind there is not the smallest doubt that here was a -two-fold supernatural intervention; firstly, vision,--seen, remember, _by -two witnesses_; then by a most strangely corroborative dream." - -Another example, shadowing forth the possible value and power of -prayer,--"the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man,"--though -briefly told, is not without its own special interest in these days of -Irreligion and Unbelief. - -"An English gentleman I knew well was residing in France; his only son was -a barrister in the Middle Temple Chambers in London. This son suffered -from disease of the heart, not known to be immediately dangerous; he was a -professed unbeliever--a scoffer, even; and had, alas! spoken lightly of -Revelation the day before his death. A sudden, violent attack prostrated -him; and, after a few hours of suffering, he departed. That night, the -father, who was not aware of any immediate danger to his child, dreamt -that the spirit of his deceased wife appeared to him, and addressed him, -saying, 'Rise and pray! William is dying, and there are none to pray for -him!'--or words to that effect. This dream was repeated, I believe, -thrice. The father did rise, and remained in earnest intercessory prayer -(he was a devout Christian man,) for the greater part of the night. This -is a well-authenticated fact, the certainty of which may be relied on." - -This chapter is brought to its close by a most impressive account of sweet -and heavenly music which was heard near the dying bed of one, whose -patience and devotion during sickness were as remarkable as her earthly -life had been pure and holy. - -It is from the pen of one who for many years was a clergyman of the Church -of England, but is now a Cistercian monk of the Monastery of Mount S. -Bernard, on the Charnwood Hills, in Leicestershire, and who is known in -religion as Father Augustine. - -"On the last day she [Mary, daughter of A. P. de Lisle, of Garendon Park, -Esq.], longed much for a cup of cold water, but it was not thought good -for her; and so, when reminded of our Saviour's thirst on the Cross, she -offered up her own thirst in union with His, and said she would ask for it -no more.[68] Her faculties, however, continued entire and clear to the -end, and by her particular request indulgenced prayers[69] were recited to -her that she might frequently repeat them. Thus her life ebbed softly -away; the last words on her lips being a prayer to her 'Sweet Saviour to -have mercy upon her.' And are not such things as these natural grounds for -having a sure hope that she died in the favour of God? It is true that we -have even supernatural grounds in the fact that on the night before her -decease (whilst she was receiving with devout mind the last anointing of -Holy Church to prepare her for her end) there was heard distinctly and by -several persons the sound of a celestial chant, proceeding from her -chamber, hymned by no earthly voices. Does not this look as if the blessed -spirits themselves had been assisting to prepare her that she might soon -become one of their company?" - -"Four men," continues the author of the Sermon from which the above is -taken, in a note to it, "none of them [Roman] Catholics, heard the -chanting three several times. They all agreed in their conviction as to -whence it came, that it was from the chamber of the dying child. The third -time it was so loud that they could distinguish, as it were, the several -voices that blended in this celestial harmony, some of which sung the -treble notes, while others took the deeper parts. The character of the -music was indescribably beautiful; and one of the men, who had been in the -habit of attending the Catholic service in S. Mary's chapel, at -Grace-Dieu, declared that the style of it was exactly like that of the -solemn Plain Chant used in that chapel which he was accustomed to hear -there. They described the chanting as having no air in it that they could -carry away, but the effect was solemn and beautiful beyond expression. -They supposed, at the moment, that it was some service, according to the -Catholic rites, which was being sung in the sick chamber by the priest and -his attendants. When they heard it, therefore, they were not surprised at -the sound, except that its beauty exceeded that of any religious service -they had ever heard; and it was not until the following morning, at the -breakfast hour, when relating what they had heard to their -fellow-servants, and being then informed that there had been no service -_chanted_ in the sick room, that the conviction flashed upon them, as upon -all to whom these facts have been since related, that the chanting -proceeded from heavenly spirits and departed saints, who had come hither -on an errand of mercy, to hedge round the dying bed of the departing -child."--Note, p. 13. - -The Editor prefers to leave these varied records of the spiritual powers -and properties of the Church, these different examples of the presence of -the Supernatural, to the consideration of the reader; himself declining -either to lay down principles, frame arguments, or draw deductions from -facts already set forth. - - -APPENDIX TO CHAPTER III. - -THE FORM OF EXORCISING THE POSSESSED. - -[TRANSLATED FROM THE "ROMAN RITUAL."] - -_The Priest, having confessed, or at least hating sin in his heart, and -having said Mass, if it possibly and conveniently can be done, and humbly -implored the Divine help, vested in surplice and violet stole, the end of -which he shall place round the neck of the one possessed, and having the -possessed person before him, and bound if there be danger of violence, -shall sign himself, the person, and those standing by, with the sign of -the Cross, and sprinkle them with holy water, and kneeling down, the -others making the responses, shall say the Litany as far as the prayers._ - -_At the end the Antiphon._ Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the -offences of our forefathers, neither take Thou vengeance of our sins. - -Our Father. _Secretly._ - -[Versicle] And lead us not into temptation. - -[Response] But deliver us from evil. - - -_Psalm_ liv. - -_Deus, in Nomine._ - -_The whole shall be said with_ Glory be to the Father. - -[Versicle] Save Thy servant, - -[Response] O my God, that putteth his trust in Thee. - -[Versicle] Be unto him, O Lord, a strong tower, - -[Response] From the face of his enemy. - -[Versicle] Let the enemy have no advantage of him, - -[Response] Nor the son of wickedness approach to hurt him. - -[Versicle] Send him help, O Lord, from the sanctuary, - -[Response] And strengthen him out of Sion. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer, - -[Response] And let my cry come unto Thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you, - -[Response] And with thy spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -O God, Whose property is ever to have mercy and to forgive: receive our -supplications and prayers, that of Thy mercy and loving-kindness Thou wilt -set free this Thy servant (or handmaid) who is fast bound by the chain of -his sins. - -O holy Lord, Father Almighty, Eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus -Christ: Who hast assigned that tyrant and apostate to the fires of hell; -and hast sent Thine Only Begotten Son into the world, that He might bruise -him as he roars after his prey: make haste, tarry not, to deliver this -man, created in Thine Own image and likeness, from ruin, and from the -noon-day devil (_daemonio meridiano_; in our version, "the sickness that -destroyeth in the noon-day"). Send Thy fear, O Lord, upon the wild beast, -which devoureth Thy vine. Grant Thy servants boldness to fight bravely -against that wicked dragon, lest he despise them that put their trust in -Thee, and say, as once he spake in Pharaoh: I know not the Lord, neither -will I let Israel go. Let Thy right hand in power compel him to depart -from Thy servant N. (or Thy handmaid N.) [Maltese Cross], that he dare no -longer to hold him captive, whom Thou hast vouchsafed to make in Thine -image, and hast redeemed in Thy Son; Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in -the Unity of the Holy Spirit, ever One God, world without end. Amen. - -_Then he shall command the spirit in this manner._ - -I command thee, whosoever thou art, thou unclean spirit, and all thy -companions possessing this servant of God, that by the Mysteries of the -Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, -by the sending of the Holy Ghost, and by the Coming of the same our Lord -to judgment, thou tell me thy name, the day, and the hour of thy going -out, by some sign: and, that to me, a minister of God, although unworthy, -thou be wholly obedient in all things: nor hurt this creature of God, or -those that stand by, or their goods in any way. - -_Then shall these Gospels, or one or the other, be read over the -possessed._ - -The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. John i. 1. _As he says these -words he shall sign himself and the possessed on the forehead, mouth, and -breast._ In the beginning was the Word ... full of grace and truth. - -The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Mark xvi. 15. At that time: -Jesus spake unto His disciples: Go ye into all the world ... shall lay -hands on the sick, and they shall recover. - -The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke x. 17. At that time: -The seventy returned again with joy ... because your names are written in -heaven. - -The Lesson of the Holy Gospel according to S. Luke xi. 14. At that time: -Jesus was casting out a devil, and it was dumb ... wherein he trusted, and -divideth his spoils. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer, - -[Response] And let my cry come unto Thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you, - -[Response] And with thy Spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -Almighty Lord, Word of God the Father, Jesus Christ, God and Lord of every -creature: Who didst give to Thy Holy Apostles power to tread upon serpents -and scorpions: Who amongst other of Thy wonderful commands didst vouchsafe -to say--Put the devils to flight: by Whose power Satan fell from heaven -like lightning: with supplication I beseech Thy Holy Name in fear and -trembling, that to me Thy most unworthy servant, granting me pardon of all -my faults, Thou wilt vouchsafe to give constancy of faith and power, that -shielded by the might of Thy holy arm, in trust and safety I may approach -to attack this cruel devil, through Thee, O Jesus Christ, the Lord our -God, Who shalt come to judge the quick and the dead, and the world by -fire. Amen. - - -_Then defending himself and the possessed with the sign of the Cross, -putting part of his stole round the neck, and his right hand upon the head -of the possessed, firmly and with great faith he shall say what follows._ - -[Versicle] Behold the Cross of the Lord, flee ye of the contrary part. - -[Response] The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath -prevailed. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer, - -[Response] And let my cry come unto Thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you, - -[Response] And with thy spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -O God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I call upon Thy Holy Name, and -humbly implore Thy mercy, that Thou wouldest vouchsafe to grant me help -against this, and every unclean spirit, that vexes this Thy creature. -Through the same Lord Jesus Christ. - - -THE EXORCISM. - -I exorcise thee, most foul spirit, every coming in of the enemy, every -apparition, every legion; in the Name of our Lord Jesus [Maltese Cross] -Christ be rooted out, and be put to flight from this creature of God -[Maltese Cross]. He commands thee, Who has bid thee be cast down from the -highest heaven into the lower parts of the earth. He commands thee, Who -has commanded the sea, the winds, and the storms. Hear therefore, and -fear, Satan, thou injurer of the faith, thou enemy of the human race, thou -procurer of death, thou destroyer of life, kindler of vices, seducer of -men, betrayer of the nations, inciter of envy, origin of avarice, cause of -discord, stirrer-up of troubles: why standest thou, and resistest, when -thou knowest that Christ the Lord destroyest thy ways? Fear Him, Who was -sacrificed in Isaac, Who was sold in Joseph, was slain in the Lamb, was -crucified in man, thence was the triumpher over hell. _The following signs -of the Cross shall be made upon the forehead of the possessed._ Depart -therefore in the Name of the Father [Maltese Cross], and of the Son -[Maltese Cross], and of the Holy [Maltese Cross] Ghost: give place to the -Holy Ghost, by this sign of the holy [Maltese Cross] Cross of Jesus Christ -our Lord: Who with the Father, and the same Holy Ghost, liveth and -reigneth ever one God, world without end. Amen. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer. - -[Response] And let my cry come unto Thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you. - -[Response] And with thy spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -O God, the Creator and Protector of the human race, Who hast formed man in -Thine own Image: look upon this Thy servant N. (_or_ this Thy handmaid -N.), who is grievously vexed with the wiles of an unclean spirit, whom the -old adversary, the ancient enemy of the earth, encompasses with a horrible -dread, and blinds the senses of his human understanding with stupor, -confounds him with terror, and harasses him with trembling and fear. Drive -away, O Lord, the power of the devil, take away his deceitful snares: let -the impious tempter fly far hence: let Thy servant be defended by the sign -[Maltese Cross] (_on his forehead_) of Thy Name, and be safe both in body, -and soul. (_The three following crosses shall be made on the breast of the -demoniac._) Do Thou guard his inmost [Maltese Cross] soul, Thou rule his -inward [Maltese Cross] parts, Thou strengthen his [Maltese Cross] heart. -Let the attempts of the opposing power in his soul vanish away. Grant, O -Lord, grace to this invocation of Thy most Holy Name, that he who up to -this present was causing terror, may flee away affrighted, and depart -conquered; and that this Thy servant, strengthened in heart, and sincere -in mind, may render Thee his due service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. -Amen. - - -THE EXORCISM. - -I adjure thee, thou old serpent, by the Judge of the quick and the dead, -by thy Maker, and the Maker of the world: by Him, Who hath power to put -thee into hell, that thou depart in haste from this servant of God N., -who returns to the bosom of the Church, with thy fear and with the -torment of thy terror. I adjure Thee again [Maltese Cross] (_on his -forehead_), not in my infirmity, but by the power of the Holy Ghost, that -thou go out of this servant of God N., whom the Almighty God hath made in -His Own Image. Yield, therefore, not to me, but to the minister of Christ. -For His power presses upon thee Who subdued thee beneath His Cross. -Tremble at His arm, which, after the groanings of hell were subdued, led -forth the souls into light. Let the body [Maltese Cross] (_on his breast_) -of man be a terror to thee, let the image of God [Maltese Cross] (_on his -forehead_) be an alarm to thee. Resist not, nor delay to depart from this -person, for it has pleased Christ to dwell in man. And think not that I am -to be despised, since thou knowest that I too am so great a sinner. God -[Maltese Cross] commands thee. The majesty of Christ [Maltese Cross] -commands thee. God the Father [Maltese Cross] commands thee. God the Son -[Maltese Cross] commands thee. God the Holy [Maltese Cross] Ghost commands -thee. The Sacrament of the Cross [Maltese Cross] commands thee. The faith -of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the other Saints [Maltese -Cross], commands thee. The blood of the Martyrs [Maltese Cross] commands -thee. The stedfastness (_continentia_) of the Confessors [Maltese Cross] -commands thee. The devout intercession of all the Saints [Maltese Cross] -commands thee. The virtue of the Mysteries of the Christian Faith [Maltese -Cross] commands thee. Go out, therefore, thou transgressor. Go out, thou -seducer, full of all deceit and wile, thou enemy of virtue, thou -persecutor of innocence. Give place, thou most dire one: give place, thou -most impious one: give place to Christ in Whom thou hast found nothing of -thy works: Who hath overcome thee, Who hath destroyed thy kingdom, Who -hath led thee captive and bound thee, and hath spoiled thy goods: Who hath -cast thee into outer darkness, where for thee and thy servants everlasting -destruction is prepared. But why, O fierce one, dost thou withstand? why, -rashly bold, dost thou refuse? thou art the accused of Almighty God, whose -laws thou hast broken. Thou art the accused of Jesus Christ our Lord, whom -thou hast dared to tempt, and presumed to crucify. Thou art the accused of -the human race, to whom by thy persuasion thou hast given to drink thy -poison. Therefore, I adjure thee, most wicked dragon, in the Name of the -immaculate [Maltese Cross] Lamb, Who treads upon the lion and adder, Who -tramples under foot the young lion and the dragon, that thou depart from -this man [Maltese Cross] (_let the sign be made upon his forehead_), that -thou depart from the Church of God [Maltese Cross] (_let the sign he made -over those who are standing by_): tremble, and flee away at the calling -upon the Name of that Lord, of Whom hell is afraid; to Whom the Virtues, -the Powers, and the Dominions of the heavens are subject; Whom Cherubim -and Seraphim with unwearied voices praise, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord -God of Sabaoth. The Word [Maltese Cross] made Flesh commands thee. He Who -was born [Maltese Cross] of the Virgin commands thee. Jesus [Maltese -Cross] of Nazareth commands thee; Who, although thou didst despise His -disciples, bade thee go bruised and overthrown out of the man: and in his -presence, having separated thee from him, thou didst not presume to enter -into the herd of swine. Therefore, thus now adjured in His Name [Maltese -Cross], depart from the man, whom He has formed. It is hard for thee to -wish to resist [Maltese Cross]. It is hard for thee to kick against the -pricks [Maltese Cross]. Because the more slowly goest thou out, does the -greater punishment increase against thee, for thou despisest not men, but -Him, Who is Lord both of the quick and the dead, Who shall come to judge -the quick and the dead, and the World by fire. [Response] Amen. - -[Versicle] Lord, hear my prayer. - -[Response] And let my cry come unto thee. - -[Versicle] The Lord be with you. - -[Response] And with thy spirit. - - -Let us pray. - -O God of heaven, God of earth, God of the Angels, God of the Archangels, -God of the Prophets, God of the Apostles, God of the Martyrs, God of the -Virgins, God, Who hast the power to give life after death, rest after -labour; because there is none other God beside Thee, nor could be true, -but Thou, the Creator of heaven and earth, Who art the true King, and of -Whose kingdom there shall be no end: humbly I beseech Thy glorious -majesty, that Thou wouldest vouchsafe to deliver this Thy servant from -unclean spirits, through Christ our Lord. Amen. - - -THE EXORCISM. - -I therefore adjure thee, thou most foul spirit, every appearance, every -inroad of Satan, in the Name of Jesus Christ [Maltese Cross] of Nazareth, -Who, after His baptism in Jordan, was led into the wilderness, and -overcame thee in thine own stronghold: that thou cease to assault him whom -He hath formed from the dust of the earth for His own honour and glory: -and that thou in miserable man tremble not at human weakness, but at the -image of Almighty God. Yield, therefore, to God [Maltese Cross] Who by His -servant Moses drowned thee and thy malice in Pharaoh and his army in the -depths of the sea. Yield to God [Maltese Cross], Who put thee to flight -when driven out of King Saul with spiritual song, by his most faithful -servant David. Yield thyself to God [Maltese Cross], Who condemned thee in -the traitor Judas Iscariot. For He touches thee with Divine [Maltese -Cross] stripes, when in His sight, trembling and crying out with thy -legions, thou saidst: What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Son of the Most -High God? Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time? He presses -upon thee with perpetual flames, Who shall say to the wicked at the end of -time--Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the -devil and his angels. For thee, O impious one, and for thy angels, is the -worm that dieth not; for thee and thy angels is the fire unquenchable -prepared: for thou art the chief of accursed murder, thou the author of -incest, thou the head of sacrileges, thou the master of the worst actions, -thou the teacher of heretics, thou the instigator of all uncleanness. -Therefore go out [Maltese Cross], thou wicked one, go out [Maltese Cross], -thou infamous one, go out with all thy deceits; for God hath willed that -man shall be His temple. But why dost thou delay longer here? Give honour -to God the Father [Maltese Cross] Almighty, before Whom every knee is -bent. Give place to Jesus Christ [Maltese Cross] the Lord, Who shed for -man His most precious Blood. Give place to the Holy [Maltese Cross] Ghost, -Who by His blessed apostle Peter struck thee to the ground in Simon Magus; -Who condemned thy deceit in Ananias and Sapphira; Who smote thee in Herod, -because he gave not God the glory; Who by His apostle Paul smote thee in -Elymas the sorcerer with a mist and darkness, and by the same apostle by -his word of command bade thee come out of the damsel possessed with the -spirit of divination. Now therefore depart [Maltese Cross], depart, thou -seducer. The wilderness is thy abode. The serpent is the place of thy -habitation: be humbled, and be overthrown. There is no time now for delay. -For behold the Lord the Ruler approaches closely upon thee, and His fire -shall glow before Him, and shall go before Him; and shall burn up His -enemies on every side. If thou hast deceived man, God thou canst not -scoff: One expels thee, from Whose Sight nothing is hidden. He casts thee -out, to Whose power all things are subject. He shuts thee out, Who hast -prepared for thee and for thine angels everlasting hell; out of Whose -mouth the sharp sword shall go out, when He shall come to judge the quick -and the dead, and the World by fire. Amen. - - -_All the aforesaid things being said and done, so far as there shall be -need, they shall be repeated, until the possessed person be entirely set -free._ - -_The following which are noted down will be of great assistance, said -devoutly over the possessed, and also frequently to repeat the_ Our -Father, Hail Mary, _and_ Creed. - -_The Canticle._ Magnificat. - -_The Canticle._ Benedictus. - - -_The Creed of S. Athanasius._ - -_Quicunque vult._ - -Psalm xci. _Qui habitat._ - -Psalm lxviii. _Exurgat Deus._ - -Psalm lxx. _Deus in adjutorium._ - -Psalm liv. _In Nomine Tuo._ - -Psalm cxviii. _Confitemini Domino._ - -Psalm xxxv. _Judica, Domine._ - -Psalm xxxi. _In Te, Domine, speravi._ - -Psalm xxii. _Deus, Deus meus._ - -Psalm iii. _Domini, quid multiplicati?_ - -Psalm xi. _In Domino confido._ - -Psalm xiii. _Usque quo, Domine?_ - -_Each Psalm shall be said with_ Glory be to the Father, &c. - - -_Prayer after being set free._ - -We pray Thee, O Almighty God, that the spirit of wickedness may have no -more power over this Thy servant N. (_or_ Thy handmaid N.), but that he -may flee away, and never come back again: at Thy bidding, O Lord, let -there come into him (_or_ her) the goodness and peace of our Lord Jesus -Christ, by Whom we have been redeemed, and let us fear no evil, for the -Lord is with us, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the Unity of the -Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. [Response] Amen. - - - - -WITCHCRAFT AND NECROMANCY. - - -"To deny the possibility, nay actual existence of Witchcraft and Sorcery, -is at once flatly to contradict the revealed Word of God, in various -passages both of the Old and New Testament; and the thing itself is a -truth to which every Nation in the World hath in its turn borne testimony, -either by examples seemingly well attested, or by prohibitory laws, which -at least suppose the possibility of commerce with evil -spirits."--Blackstone's "Commentaries," book iv. chap. iv. p. 61. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -WITCHCRAFT AND NECROMANCY. - - -Witchcraft is the system of those persons who, through the direct agency -of wicked spirits, perform certain acts and deeds beyond the natural and -ordinary powers of mankind.[70] On the other hand, Necromancy, according -to the definition of Cotgrave, is "divination by conference with dead -bodies raised." In its modern and wider acceptation, the latter is a -formal summoning of the spirits of the dead out of the hidden place of -their abode--"the desert where they glide,"--in order to consult with them -as to the present or future by unlawful means, and to secure their active -assistance in supernatural things and practices which are forbidden. - -The invocation and consultation of evil spirits specially summoned to -earth by certain recognized incantations, would be acts of Witchcraft and -Necromancy. Of these cases, abundant examples occur both in sacred[71] and -profane history.[72] - -To the wizard or witch were freely given by the Devil or his angels divers -powers at once supernatural and uncommon, by which, when sought for, both -riches and sensual pleasures could for a while be secured, even to -surfeiting. Occasionally the gift of predicting certain future events was -bestowed; in other cases, the power of working evil and mischief upon the -lives, limbs, and fortunes of neighbours or chosen subjects. This power, -as was commonly believed, was bestowed by an express and definite compact, -as some declare, formally made in writing by the Devil or his agents, and -sealed with the wizard's or witch's own blood. By the unvarying terms of -the bond, as an essential preliminary, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism was -expressly renounced by the person accepting the Devil's terms and -conditions. Satan was formally worshipped, prayed to, and acknowledged as -Ruler and Lord; and then, after a certain number of years, as a necessary -consequence, the soul of the wizard or witch, without any chance of -redemption, was irrevocably lost, and became absolutely the everlasting -property of the Evil One. - -The existence of this detail of the Supernatural, sometimes dimly and -obscurely set forth, at others with undoubted and remarkable clearness, -owns in its favour the almost universal consent of the human race[73] in -all ages. Even the incredulity of the modern persons, who term themselves -"philosophers" and "thinkers," cannot be reasonably alleged in -contravention of so broad and general a fact; for these "philosophers" -themselves admit as much when, in their great wisdom, they proceed to -characterize the opposite disposition--the readiness to accept such -facts--as "vulgar" and "popular." - -It is impossible to point to any period when the belief in Witchcraft and -Necromancy was perfectly obliterated, or to any nation which altogether -repudiated it.[74] If one particular phase was removed, discredited, or -discountenanced, some other form, substantially and inherently similar, -eventually took its place. Holy Scripture[75] is full of references to -Witchcraft and Necromancy. The dark rites and deeds involved in their -practice are distinctly and unequivocally condemned. If such had not -actively existed, why should their condemnation have been pronounced in -the Sacred Books? Supernatural acts are there recorded, which are -expressly said to have been performed by and through the system and power -of Witchcraft, which is plainly declared to be a sin of a very dark dye. -The practice, consequently, is directly and plainly forbidden, as being -contrary to the Mind and Will of God; and laws were enacted and put on -record by which those who, in the face of warnings, continued to practise -such forbidden arts, were to be punished by death. - -It is equally clear from certain of the Epistles of the Apostles of our -Blessed Lord, that the fact of Witchcraft and Necromancy being commonly -practised by Pagan nations was not only perfectly well known[76] to the -guides and rulers of the Christian Church, but was again formally -forbidden by those who were left to teach in the Name and on behalf of -their Lord and Master. Nothing, in fact, can be more certain than that the -Apostles condemned and prohibited the consultation of, or intercourse -with, either the spirits of the departed or evil angels. - -Here a few remarks defining and setting forth the principle on which such -unlawful arts were authoritatively prohibited, may reasonably follow. - -By the very act of his profession the Christian allows the co-existence in -the World of two distinct and separable orders,--the Natural, which -governs the physical and moral laws of the world, and the Supernatural, -which, according to God's Revelation, gradually unfolded and duly -developed, governs the moral laws of man. The object of man's faith is -mystery, certain in itself, but above human intelligence. He yields the -homage of his will not only to a God Who is the Great Creator and -Preserver of the world and of all that therein is, but renders it to a God -Who is the Repairer and Restorer of the human race by the Incarnation of -the Eternal Word, and the Sanctifier of souls. This supernatural order, -then, was not only known and established in the earth by other -supernatural facts, but the visible testimony of Nature to the invisible -order superior to and above Nature, was from time to time, and when -necessary, abundantly made manifest. The Supernatural, then, exists in the -World to lead men to God. Everything, therefore, that rises up in -opposition to the Supernatural and mars the true idea of it, of necessity -turns man away from God. The World, the Flesh, and the Devil, each and all -(as Christian experience by temptation testifies,) effect this most -successfully. - -The World, which has been defined as "the rebellion of the reason against -God," scorns to accept miracles and mysteries, and boldly denies the -existence both of angels and fallen spirits--scoffing at and repudiating -the idea of Witchcraft or Necromancy, which it craftily characterizes as -"the foolish and ignorant superstitions of a dark age." Furthermore, the -World admits of no truth superior to the human intellect, of no law which -restricts what is called "human liberty" or the "rights of man;" and -absolutely refuses to acknowledge in the domain of facts anything which -oversteps those fixed rules which it alone chooses to recognize in the -government of Nature. - -The Flesh tends to degrade man to the level of the beasts, with whom he -has in common notable tendencies and powerful passions. To the carnal man, -who is at enmity with God, the very term "Supernatural" is a word void -both of meaning and efficacy. His motto is, "Let us eat and drink, for -to-morrow we die:" his conviction, as far as he may be said to have any, -is that his own soul is nothing more than "a force which has its origin in -matter itself," and which, by consequence, shares its destruction; while -his God is simply either "a stream of tendency, by which all things tend -to fulfil the law of their being," or "a substance immanent in the -universe."[77] - -Thirdly, the Devil, through hatred both of God and man, strives in every -way to substitute himself for God in this World. He is the Prince of the -Powers of the air. He is stronger and more knowing than man. His intellect -is clearer and finer. Moreover, his kingdom is powerful; his spiritual -auxiliaries are numerous; his allies on earth, of all kinds, in the flesh, -are multitudinous. The deeds which he delights that men should do are -perfectly well known.[78] By counterfeiting genuine prodigies and true -revelations, therefore, he draws men into the deadly meshes of a degrading -and damnable superstition, by means of a delusive and lying -supernaturalism. And the mischief resulting from such an active and -successful policy is by no means on the wane, if they are not surely on -the increase, in these dangerous latter days. True that in England the -laws against Witchcraft are abolished,[79] but history, fairly consulted -and faithfully read, tells us that not a century has elapsed since the -commencement of the Christian era without its demoniacal apparitions and -certain examples of Necromancy and Witchcraft. While this is so, of course -no intention is entertained by the Editor of denying the common belief of -the Universal Church, that by and through the Incarnation and Sacrifice of -the Ever-Blessed Son of God the powers and influence of the Enemy of souls -have been materially and efficiently crippled.[80] - -Having thus digressed for an obvious purpose, it is now needful to return -to the particular subject of this section, upon which some light will, in -due course, be found to have been thrown, by the above brief expositions -of principles; in the consideration and by the aid of which the strange -facts and singular records which follow will appear in their proper place, -when the important subject of the Supernatural, as brought out, incident -upon incident, by historical records and authentic accounts, is under -consideration. - -That Witchcraft and Necromancy were publicly recognized as facts by the -Fathers of the Christian Church is indisputable; while the existence of an -order of ministers known as "exorcists," acting from time to time, as -occasion required or necessity demanded, in casting out evil spirits, is a -sufficient proof of the watchful care and beneficent action of the -Universal Church, at once authoritative, indefectible, and divine.[81] - -In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII. issued a Bull against Witchcraft, upon the -promulgation of which, treatises were drawn up for the guidance of local -bishops, chancellors, and other ecclesiastical officials, in the necessary -labour of bringing hardened offenders to justice. This Bull was renewed in -the latter part of the fifteenth century, by Pope Alexander VI., so that -the subject of Witchcraft gained unusual attention about that period. - -As a matter of fact, it is computed that in the year 1515, no less than -five hundred witches were burnt in Geneva alone, and the same was the case -in other parts of Christendom,--a proof at once of the craft and power of -Satan, and of the demoralization of those who had deliberately elected to -become his servants and slaves. The earliest statute against Witchcraft -enacted in England, was passed in the reign of King Henry VI.; and -additional laws of great stringency and severity, sorely needed, were -enacted under the Tudors, by Henry VIII., Queen Elizabeth, and James I. In -the year 1604, the great Act of Parliament against Witchcraft, drawn up -by Coke and Bacon, was passed; and it is asserted that no less than twelve -bishops attended the Committee of the House of Lords when the Bill was -under discussion. Sir Matthew Hale and Sir Thomas Browne, men of high -legal and literary rank and mark, each gave evidence at the trials which -speedily followed. In this particular, as in some others, England followed -Geneva. Between the years 1565 and 1700, eleven wizards or sorcerers were -burnt at the stake in the Carrefour du Bordage, in Guernsey, the square -devoted by the city authorities of that island to this kind of punishment. -The last case of death for Witchcraft there took place in 1747. - -It may here be put on record that at the period of the Reformation, and -during the succeeding century, the power of casting out devils was claimed -exclusively by those who remained in visible communion with the See of -Rome, and many Roman Catholic writers of those periods maintained that no -such power belonged either to any teacher of heresy or to schismatics.[82] -But many of the Puritans, knowing that the act of exorcism, like baptism, -was not essentially a sacerdotal act (for if baptism may be validly -confirmed by a deacon, it may, with equal validity, be bestowed by a -layman), maintained the power to be inherent in any Christian man (with -right disposition and following recognized and authorized rules) of -casting out evil spirits; and, in consequence, declined altogether to -repudiate the clear and plain records and statements of Holy Scripture -concerning Witchcraft and Necromancy. They therefore made several attempts -to secure the official authorization of a form for exorcism, framed after -the old and customary rite, to be printed in the "Book of Common Prayer." -This, however, was never done. But in 1604 the subject was duly -considered, and determined upon in the seventy-second Canon, which, as has -been already pointed out, properly and stringently forbad to the clergy -the practice of exorcism without a special license or faculty from the -Bishop of the diocese. - -As to the facts of Witchcraft and Necromancy, it is quite impossible to -deny their existence. Records of the plainest character, legal evidence -and literary testimony of undisputed authority,[83] may be discovered, -which very luminously set forth what was believed on the subject; and this -not alone by the ignorant, but by the learned and well-informed. The only -difficulty is to make a suitable selection from that evidence which so -abundantly exists; being careful that such selection shall not set forth -merely one aspect of the subject, but several, and leaving each account to -tell its own story. This it is now proposed briefly to attempt. - -For example, in the year 1599, a girl named Martha Brossier, of -Romorantin, in Berry, was reputed to be possessed, and excited a -considerable sensation in Paris. At the suggestion of the then Bishop of -Paris, the King ordered a Committee composed of the most eminent -physicians, to examine and report on her case. The physicians appointed -were Marescot, Ellain, Haulin, Riolan, and Duet; and their Report, which -is exceedingly curious, will be found translated into English by Abraham -Hartwell, and published towards the close of the sixteenth century.[84] -The dedication to his Majesty proceeds thus:-- - -"Sire, by the commandment of Your Majestie, we have set down briefely and -truly that which wee have found in our visiting of Martha Brossier.... We -present the same unto Your Majestie without any art, without any painted -show, without any flourish, but with a naked Simplicitie, the faithful -companion of Truth, which you have desired from us in this matter and -which you have always loved and curiously sought." The Report then -continues: "We the undersigned Doctors Regents in the facultie of -physicke in the Universitie of Paris, touching the matter of Martha -Brossier, a maide of the age of two-and-twenty yeres or thereabouts, born -at Romorantin in Berry, who was brought unto us in the chappel of my Lord -of Saint Genefue [Genevieve], and who we saw sometimes in constitution, -countenance and speech as a person sounde of bodie and minde, ... do say -in our consciences, and certify that which followeth: that all which is -before set down (referring to the character of her fits) must be referred -to one of these three causes--sicknesse, counterfeiting, or diabolicall -possession. For the opinion that it proceedeth from sicknesse, we are -clerely excluded from that, for the agitations and motions we observed -therein doe retain nothing of the nature of sickness, nay not of those -diseases whereunto of the first sight they might have resembled; it being -neither an epilepsie or falling sickness, which always supposes the loss -of sense and judgment, nor the passion which we call hysterica, ... nor -any of the foure motions proceeding from diseases, that is to say, -shivering, trembling, panting, and convulsion, or indeede if there doe -appeare any convulsion; and that a man will so call the turning up of her -eyes, the gnashing of her teeth, the writhing of her chaps (which are -almost ordinarie with this maide while she is in her fittes); the -confidence which the priest hath when he openeth her mouth, and holdeth it -open with his finger within it, testifying sufficiently that they doe not -proceede from, nor are caused by, any disease, considering that in -diseases he that hath a convulsion is not master of that part or member -wherein it is, having neither any power of election or command over it, -and particularly which is in the convulsion of the jawes, which is most -violent of all the rest, the finger of the priest should bee no more -respected nor spared than the finger of any other man. Moreover, diseases, -and the motions also of diseases (especially those that are violent), -leave the body feeble, the visage pale, and the breath panting. This -maide, at the end of her fittes, was found to be as little moved and -changed in pulse, colour, countenance, and breath, as ever she was before; -yea, which is the more to be noted, as little at the end of her exorcisme -as at the beginning, at evening as in the morning, at the last day as at -the first. Touching the point of counterfeiting, the insensibilitie of her -bodie during her extasies and furies, tried by the deepe prickings of long -pinnes, which were thrust into divers parts of her hands, and afterwards -plucked out againe, without any show that ever she made of feeling the -same, either in the putting in of them, or the taking out of them, a -griefe which, without majicke and without speech, could not, in our -opinion, be indured, without any countenance or show thereof, neither by -the constancie of the most courageous, nor by the stoutnesse of the most -wicked, nor by the stronge conceit of the most criminall malefactores, -took from us almost the suspicion of it, but much more persuaded us from -that opinion, the thin and slender foam that in her mad fits we saw issue -out of her mouth, which she had no means to be abel to counterfeit. And -yet more than all this, the very consideration before mentioned of the -little or no change at all that was seene in her person after all these -most sharpe and very long pangs, (a thing which nobody in the world did -ever trie in their most moderate exercises,) we are driven, even till this -houre, by all the lawes of discourse and knowledge, yea, and almost forced -to beleeve that this maide is a demoniacke, and the Devill dwelling in her -is the Author of these effects. If wee had seen that which my Lord of St. -Genefue and many others doe report,--that this maide was lifted up into -the ayre more than four foote above five or six strong persons that held -her,--it would have been an argument to us of an extraordinarie power, -over and beyond the common nature and condition of man. But not being -presente at that wonder, we doe give a testamonie of our knowledge, which -is as much or rather more admirable than that force and power was, viz., -that being demanded, and in her exercising commanded, my Lord of Paris -furnishing the priest with questions and interrogatories, this maide -divers and sundrie times, by many persons of qualitie and worthie of -credit, was seene and heard to obey and answere to purpose, not only in -the Latin tongue, (wherein it had not been impertinent peradventure to -have suspected some collusion,) but also in Greeke and in English, and -that upon the sudden. She did, we say once againe, understande the Greeke -and English languages, wherein we beleeve, as it is very likely that she -was never studied, so that there was no collusion used with her, neither -could she invent or imagine the interpretations thereof. It resteth, -therefore, even in the judgment of Aristotle in the like case, that they -were inspired unto her." The Report then concludes with this solemn -declaration: "By reason whereof, and considering also, under correction, -that Saint Luke, who was both a physician and an evangelist, describing -the persons out of whose bodies our Lord and his apostles did drive the -devils left unto us, none other or any greater signes than those which wee -think wee have seene in this case, wee are the more induced and almost -confirmed to beleeve and to conclude as before, taking God for a Witness -of our consciences in the matter. Made at Paris, this 3rd April, 1599." - -On this Report, as may be gathered from the tractate referred to, it is -evident and notorious that the physicians Marescot, Ellain, Haulin, -Riolan, and Duet, were all men of scientific attainments and unimpeachable -moral integrity; the same facts were also witnessed and formally attested -by the Bishop of Paris, the Abbot of Genevieve, and other competent -observers. - -Another case, that of a girl named Anne Millner, or Mylner, of Chester, -about the year 1564, deserves consideration. The record here given is -taken from a pamphlet of considerable interest.[85] Some curious facts -connected with it are attested by Sir William Calverley, Sir William -Sneyd, Lady Calverley, and other persons of distinction who then lived at -Chester. The description of the paroxysm is extremely graphic:--"We went," -says the Report, which is signed by the above-named persons, "at about two -of the clocke in the afternoone of the same 16th day of February and there -found the mayden in her traunce, after her accustomed manner lying in a -bed within the haule, her eyes half shut, half open, looking as she had -been agast, never moving either eye or eyelid, her teeth something open, -with her tongue doubling betweene, her face somewhat red, her head as -heavy as leade to lift at; there she laid, still as a stone, and feeling -her pulse it beat in as good measure as if she had been in perfect -health." The Report then describes her becoming violently convulsed: "She -lifted herself up in her bed, bending backwards in such order that almost -her head and fete met, falling down on the one side, then on the other." A -person of the name of Lane, who was reputed to possess great power over -demoniacs, was then called in, who first, as the Report expresses it, -"willed" that she should speak, and then "willed" that she should rise and -dress herself, all which she did, to the astonishment of the bystanders; -and a Certificate to that effect was signed by all present on March 8, -1564. - -In Lancashire seven persons belonging to one family were reputed to be -under the direct influence of evil spirits, or in a certain state of -bewitchment, exhibiting signs of demoniacal possession. The pamphlet, the -title of which is given below,[86] puts on record what in this case is -reported to have occurred: "These possessed persons had every one -something peculiar to herselfe which none of the rest did shew, and that -so rare and straunge that all the people were obliged to confesse it was -the worke of an evil spirit within them; so had they many things in -common, and were handled for the most part in their fittes alike.... They -had all every one very straunge visions, they heard hideous and fearful -voices of spirits sundrie times and did make marveilous answers back -againe ... they were in their fits ordinarilie holden in that captivity -and bondage, that for an houre, two, or three, and longer time they -should neither see, heare, nor taste, nor feel nothing but the divells, -they employing them wholly for themselves, vexing and tormenting them so -extreameley as that for the present they could feel no other paine or -torture that could bee offered; no, though you should plucke an ear from -the heade or an arm from the bodie. They had also a marveilous sore -heaving as if their hearts would burst, so that with violent straining -some of them vomitted bloude many times. They were all of them verry -fierce, offering violence both to themselves and others, whereine they -shewed verie greate and extraordinarie strength. They were out of their -right mind, without the use of their senses, expecially voyd of feiling: -as much sense in a stock as one of them, or as possible, in a manner, to -quicken a dead man as to alter or chaunge them in their traunces in -anything they either saide or did. They in their fittes had divers parts -and members of their bodies so striffe and stretched out as were -inflexible or very hard to be bended. They shewed very great and -extraordinarie knowledge, as may appeare by the straunge things saide and -done by them, according to that which we have already set down in the -particulars. They ever after their fittes were as well as might be, and -felt very little or no paine at all, although they had been never so sore -tormented immediately before." - -The strange and singular violence of the convulsions in those who were -under the influence of Witchcraft, is brought out in almost all the -records of such cases, notably in those which occurred during the Great -Rebellion,[87] and specially in the case of Anne Styles, who was executed -at Salisbury in 1653. - -The narrative states that she was so strong in her fits that six men or -more could not hold her, but while suffering under most grievous hurrying -and tortures of the body, the witch being only brought into the room, she -fell asleep and slept for three hours, so fast that when they would have -awakened her they could not.[88] The insensibility of the body in this -state, we are informed by Increase Mather, led to a cruel test for -demoniacal possession. There was a notorious Witchfinder, he observes, "in -Scotland, who undertook by a pin to make an infallible discovery of -suspected persons, whether they were witches or not. If, when the pin was -run an inch or two into the body of the accused party no blood appeared -nor any sense of pain, he declared them to be witches, by means of which -no less than three hundred persons were condemned for witchcraft in that -country."[89] - -In a small but curious tractate entitled "Daimonomagia," the effects of -Witchcraft are maintained to be a disease. The definition of it stands -thus:--"A disease of witchcraft is a sickness that arises from strange and -preternatural causes, and from diabolical power in the use of strange and -ridiculous ceremonies by witches or necromancers, afflicting with strange -and unaccustomed symptoms, and commonly preternaturally violent, very -seldom, or not at all, curable by natural remedies." Then follow the -diagnostical signs, amongst which are insensibility, convulsions, together -with a preternatural knowledge both of living and dead languages, and -after these the causes of witchcraft. Biernannus and Wierius, two -authorities on the subject, find that aspect and contact do not -necessarily bewitch; but witches sometimes try to bewitch another of the -same family. Lastly, as regards the cure, directions are provided by which -the wizard, witch, or necromancer is to be compelled to use certain dark -ceremonies for the cure of the bewitched. - -In the year 1658, a woman named Jane Brookes was tried, condemned, and -executed at Chard in Somersetshire. The indictment against her was that -she had bewitched Richard the son of Henry Jones, of Shepton Mallet in -that county. Numberless persons of all ranks and classes, including both -clergymen and physicians, witnessed his sufferings and paroxysms; while -the direct influence of the woman indicted was fully apparent and -abundantly proved. "The boy," as the Rev. Joseph Glanville,[90] one of the -chaplains of King Charles II. writes, "fell into his fitts at the sight of -Jane Brookes and lay in a man's arms like a dead person; the woman was -then willed to lay on her hand, which she did, and he thereupon started -and sprung out in a very unusual manner. One of the justices, to prevent -all possibilities of _legerdemain_, caused Gibson and the rest to stand -off from the boy, and then that justice himself held him. The youth being -blindfolded, the justice called as if Brookes should touch him, but winked -to others to do it, which two or three successively did, but the boy -appeared not concerned. The justice then called on the father to take him, -but had privately before desired one Mr. Geoffrey Strode to bring Jane -Brookes to touch him at such a time as he should call for his father, -which was done, and the boy immediately sprang out after a very odd and -violent fashion. He was afterwards touched by several persons and moved -not, but Jane Brookes being again caused to put her hand upon him he -started and sprung up twice as before. All this while he remained in his -fit and some time after, and being then laid on a bed in the same room, -the people present could not for a long time bow either of his arms or -legs." - -It appears tolerably evident that the boy, when under the influence of his -fits, owned a faculty not unlike that of clairvoyance. As regards Jane -Brookes and her sister, he seems to have had the capacity to describe them -accurately wherever they might have been. As the Report declares, "He -would tell the clothes and habits they were in at the time, exactly as the -constable and others have found them on repairing to them, although -Brookes' house was a good distance from Jones': this they often tried, and -always found the boy right in his description."[91] - -From the same volume, the main facts of which seem to be admitted by -competent authority, a woman named Elizabeth Style of Bayford was -indicted for bewitching a girl named Elizabeth Hill, thirteen years of -age. In this case the formal deposition of three credible witnesses -attests that "during her fits, her strength was encreased beyond the -proportion of nature, and the force of divers men. Furthermore, in one fit -she foretold when she would have the next, which happened accordingly." - -The case of the "Surey Demoniac," as he was termed, which was set forth at -length in a publication issued in London towards the close of the -seventeenth century,[92] is certainly worthy of being noticed here. In the -year 1697 a youth of nineteen years of age, named Richard Dugdale, excited -great attention; it being generally believed that he was possessed by an -evil spirit, as the direct consequence of Witchcraft. His paroxysms were -witnessed by numerous clergymen, physicians, and persons of respectability -and rank; and caused an amount of interest and excitement which can -scarcely be realized.[93] His fits commenced with violent convulsions; his -sight or eyeballs turned upward and backwards; he afterwards answered -questions; predicted during one fit the period of accession and duration -of another fit; spoke in foreign languages, of which at other times he was -ignorant, and described events passing at a distance with singular and -recognized accuracy. Here again the word of narration is quoted at -length:--"At the end of one fit the demoniac told what hour of the night -or day his next [fit] would begin, very precisely and punctually, as was -constantly observed, though there was no equal or set distance of time -between his fits; betwixt which there would be, sometimes a few hours, -sometimes many, sometimes one day, sometimes many days." "He would have -told you," one of the deponents asserts on oath, "when his fits would -begin, when they were two or three in one day, or three or four days -asunder, wherein he never was, that the deponent knoweth of, -disappointed." On one occasion, when the minister was addressing him, he -exclaimed, "At ten o'clock my next fit comes on." "Though he was never -learned in the English tongue, and his natural and acquired abilities were -very ordinary, yet, when the fit seized him, he often spake Latin, Greek, -and other languages very well.... He often told of things in his fits done -at a distance, whilst those things were a-doing,--as, for instance, a -woman being afraid to go to the barn, though she was come within a bow's -length of it, was immediately sent for by the demoniac, who said, 'Unless -that weak-faithed jade come, my fits will last longer.' Some said, 'Let us -send for Mr. G----.' The demoniac answered, 'He is now upon the hay-cart,' -which was found to be true.... On another occasion he told what great -distress there was in Ireland, and that England must 'pay the piper.' -Again, one going by him to a church meeting, was told by the demoniac in -his fit, 'Thou needest not go to the said meeting, for I can tell thee the -sermon that will be preached there,' upon which he told him the text and -much of the sermon that was that day preached." Lastly, it is certified by -two of the deponents that "the demoniac could not certainly judge what the -nature of his distemper was; because when he was out of his fits, he could -not tell how it was with him when he was in his fits." - -From another publication[94] we gather that, in the case of Florence -Newton, an Irishwoman, who was charged with bewitching Mary Longdon, when -the sufferer and the accused were both in court, and the evidence against -the person charged was being concluded, the prisoner at the bar simply -looked at the woman reputed to be under her influence, and made certain -motions of her hands towards her, upon which we are told that "the maid -fell into most violent fits, so that all the people that could lay hands -on her could scarcely hold her." - -Quaint as these records are, peculiar in their literary style, singularly -simple and homely in their subject-matter as to details, and tinged, it -may be, not infrequently with the exaggerated superstitions of the times, -it is impossible that so many persons of all ranks and classes--the -highest as well as the lowest--eye-witnesses of facts, could have been so -utterly mistaken as to the Supernatural character of Witchcraft, or so -deluded as to its true nature and import. Some writers have hastily and -erroneously asserted that at the close of the seventeenth century the -arraigning and trying of witches came to an end. But this is not so.[95] -In 1712, Judge Parker (who succeeded Chief Justice Holt,) put a check upon -the so-called "trial by water," by his charge at the Essex Summer Assizes -of that year. Three years later, however, in 1715, Elizabeth Treslar was -hung and then burnt for Witchcraft on Northampton Heath. - -The following account (extracted _verbatim et literatim_) is taken from a -rare and curious tract[96] published early in the eighteenth century, -containing an account of the trial, examination, and condemnation of two -witches named Shaw and Phillips in the year 1705. One or two sentences of -the old narrative are two coarse for quotation; but substantially the -contemporary account is reprinted, following its old typographical form:-- - -"On Wednesday the 7th of this Instant March 1705, being the second day of -the Assizes held at Northampton: One Ellinor Shaw and Mary Phillips[97] -(two notorious Witches), were brought into court and there Arraign'd at -the Bar upon several Indictments of Witchcraft; particularly for -Bewitching and Tormenting in a Diabolical manner, the Wife of Robert Wise -of Benefield in the said County, till she Dyed; as also for Killing by -Witchcraft and wicked Facination one Elizabeth Gorham of Glapthorn, a -Child of about four years of Age, in the said County of Northampton; as -also for Bewitching to death one Charles Ireland of Southwick in the said -County; to which Indictment the two said Prisoners pleaded not Guilty and -there upon put themselves upon their Tryals as followeth:-- - -"The first Evidence against them was one Widdow Peak, who deposed that she -with two other Women, undertook to Watch the same Prisoners after they had -been Apprehended; and that about Midnight there appeared in the Room a -little white Thing about the Bigness of a Cat, which sat upon Mary -Phillips' Lap, at which time she heard her, the said Mary Phillips, say, -then pointing to Ellinor Shaw, that she was the Witch that Killed Mrs. -Wise by Roasting her Effiges in Wax, sticking it full of Pinns, and till -it was all wasted, and all this she affirm'd was done the same Night Mrs. -Wise Dyed in a sad and languishing Condition. Mrs. Evans deposed that when -Mrs. Wise first was taken Ill, that she saw Ellinor Shaw look out at the -Window (it being opposite to her House), at Which time she heard her say, -'I have done her Business now I am sure; this Night Ill send the old Devil -a New Year's Gift' (next day being New year's Day), and well knowing this -Ellinor Shaw to be a reputed Witch, was so much concern'd at her Words -that she went then to see how Mrs. Wise did, Where she found her -Tormented with such Pains, as exceeding those of a Woman in Travel, which -Encreased to such a terrible Degree that she Expired about 12 of the clock -to the great amasement of all her Neighbours. - -"Another Evidence made Oath that Ellinor Shaw and Mary Phillips being one -day at her house they told her she was a Fool to live so Miserable as she -did, and therefore if she was willing, they would send some thing that -Night that would Relieve her, and being an ignorant Woman she consented; -and accordingly the same Night two little black Things, almost like Moles -came into her bed ... repeating the same for two or three Nights after, -till she was almost frightened out of her Sences [sic] insomuch that she -was forced to send for Mr. Danks the Minister, to Pray by her several -nights before the said Imps would leave her: She also added that she -heard the said Prisoners say that they would be Revenged on Mrs. Wise -because she would not give them some Buttermilk. - -"Mrs. Todd of Southwick deposed that Charles Ireland being a Boy of about -12 years of Age, was taken with Strange Fitts about Christmas last, -continuing so by Intervals till twelf Day last, at which time he Barked -like a Dogg, and when he was Recovered and come to himself, he would -Distinctly describe Ellinor Shaw and Mary Phillips, affirming them two to -be the Authors of his Misfortunes, though he never saw them in his Life; -so that Mrs. Ireland, the Boy's mother, was advised to Cork up some ... in -a stone Bottle filled full of Pins and Needles, and to Bury it under the -Fire Hearth; which being done accordingly, the two said Witches could not -be quiet till they came to the same House and desired to have the said -Bottle taken up, which was not granted, till they had confessed the -Matter, and promised never to do so again; but for all this the Next night -but one, the said Boy was so violently Handled, that he Dyed in two Hours -time; and this Woman's Testimoney was confirm'd by five or six other -Evidences at the same time. - -"The said Witches were Try'd a third time for Bewitching to Death -Elizabeth Gorham of Glapthorne on the 10th of February last, as also for -killing several Horses, Hogs, and Sheep, being the Goods of Matthew -Gorham, Father of the said Child aforesaid. The Evidence against them to -prove all this, was William Boss and John Southwel; who deposed that being -Constables of the said Town, they were Charged with the said Prisoners in -their Custody, who threatning them with Death if they did not Confess, and -promising them to let them go if they would Confess; after some little -Whineing and Hanging about one another's Necks they both made this -Confession:-- - - "'That living in one house together they contracted with the Devil - about a Year ago to sell their Souls to him, upon condition he would - enable them to do what Mischief they desired against whom they - pleased, either in Body, Goods, or Children; upon which the same Night - they had each of them three Imps sent them as they were going to Bed, - and at the same instant the Devil appeared to them in the shape of a - tall black Man, and told them that these Imps would always be at their - Service, either to kill Man, Woman, Child, Hog, Cow, Ship, [_i.e._ - Sheep] or any other Creature, when they pleased to command them, - provided ... which being agree'd to, the Devil came to Bed to them - Both.... And that the next morning they sent four of their Imps to - kill two Horses of one John Webb of the said Town of Glapthorne, - because he openly said they were Witches; and accordingly the Horses - were found dead in a Pond the same day; and two Days after this, they - Kill'd four great Hoggs after the same manner, belonging to Matthew - Gorham, because he said they both look'd like Witches, and not - thinking this Revenge sufficient, the next day after, they sent two - Imps a piece to destroy his Child, being a little Girle of about four - years of Age, which was done accordingly in 24 Hours' time, - notwithstanding all the Skill and Endeavour of able Doctors to - preserve it. They further confessed that if the said Imps were not - constantly imploy'd to do Mischief they had not their Healths, but - when they were imploy'd they were very Healthful and Well. They - further added, that the said Imps did often tell them in the - Night-time in a hollow whispering low voice, which they plainly - understood, that they should never feel Hell Torments, and they had - Kill'd a Horse and two Cows of one Widow Broughton because she deny'd - them some Pea-cods last year, for which they had also struck her - Daughter with Lameness, which would never be cured as long as either - of them Liv'd, and accordingly she had continued so ever since.' - -"The above said Evidence further deposed that having thus extorted the -said Confession from the prisoners, they persuaded them to set their Hands -to it, which was done accordingly, tho' with very much difficulty, upon -which the said Confession was produced in Court, and the Witness's to it -Examin'd, who all deposed upon Oath that the said Confession was made in -their Hearing, and that they saw the said reputed Witches set their Marks -to it in the presence of ten Witnesses. - -"Upon which the said Prisoners were desired by the Court to declare -wheather they own'd the said Confession and the Marks thereunto Affixed or -not, to which they both answered in the Negative; and thereupon made such -a Howling and lamentable Noise as never was heard before to the amusement -of the Whole Court, and Deny'd every particular that was laid to their -Charge: but the Court having heard the matter of Fact so positively -asserted against them by several Evidences, and above all by their own -Confessions, that after having given a Larned [sic] Charge to the Jury -relating to every particular Circumstance, they brought them in both -Guilty of wilful Murther and Witchcraft, and accordingly the next day the -Court was pleased to pronounce sentence of Death upon them, that is to -say, To be Hang'd till they are almost Dead, and then surrounded with -Faggots Pitch and other Combustable matter, which being set on fire their -Bodies are to be consumed to _Ashes_." - -In the month of March, 1711-12, another woman, Jane Wenham by name[98] -(formally charged with bewitching Anne Thorne, Anne Street, and others), -was tried at the Assizes at Hertford, and received sentence of death. The -case was heard before Sir Henry Chauncey. Before the grand jury the -depositions of sixteen witnesses were taken; one of whom deposed that Jane -Wenham confessed to him that she had practised Witchcraft during sixteen -years. On one occasion when the girl whom she had afflicted was in one of -her paroxysms, we are informed that a very ingenious gentleman and able -physician happened to be present, his curiosity bringing him a little out -of his way to inquire into the truth of the story of this witch, which he -had heard several ways told, as things of this nature generally are. When -he saw her in a fit, which was one of the least she ever had, he tried -whether he could bring her out of it without prayers. He took a great -feather, which burning he held under the maid's nose, and though the stink -was so great that we were not able to bear it in the room, yet the maid -received the strong steam into her nose without being the least affected -by it and without perceiving it, as far as we could perceive. The -physician then felt her pulse and assured them that "it was no natural -disease under which the maid laboured, that it must be counterfeit or -preternatural; but," observes the author of this account, "that she should -counterfeit even death itself one minute and restore herself to health the -very next, and that she should put herself to all this trouble for no -manner of pleasure or profit, is so very inconceivable and so wholly -unaccountable, that I must needs say I shall never have faith enough to -believe such a heap of absurdities." (p. 33.) - -The undoubted insensibility of the girl was tested in a very practical but -remarkably barbarous manner. One of the members of the Family of Chauncey -"ran a pin into her arm six or seven times, and finding she never winced -for it, but held her arm as still as if nothing had been done to it, and -seeing no blood come, he ran it in a great many times more; still no blood -came; but she stood talking and never minded it. Then, again, he ran it in -several times more. At last he left it in her arm that all the company -might see it, run up to the head." (p. 19.) - -The record of these cases also contains the following:-- - -"There are also some things in which the fits of Mary Longdon and Anne -Thorn agree, particularly the great strength of the afflicted when in a -fit, so great that three or four men could hardly hold 'em down, but there -is one very remarkable difference, which I doubt not my readers have -already taken notice of, viz. that this Mary Longdon was always worse of -her fits whenever Florence Newton came in the room; whereas Anne Thorn -constantly recovered from hers at the touch of the witch. And yet I think -these different appearances may be accounted for [in] different ways. It -is not reasonable to suppose that either of those alterations in the -afflicted came to pass by the consent or procurement of the witches -themselves, who could not but perceive that they served as strong -circumstances against them, but this was done by the overruling providence -of Almighty God to convict these miserable creatures; and either of these -ways might do as well as the other, since it is equally surprising to see -one in perfect health fall into such terrible fits at the sight of any one -person, as to see another recover out of such fits by the bare touch of -the suspected witch, both of them tending only to the discovery of the -criminal." (pp. 17, 18.) - -As to certain of the characteristics and evidences of Witchcraft, Increase -Mather in his "Cases of Conscience" writes as follows. What he sets forth, -and what is now to be quoted, serves to show not only the kind of evidence -as to facts which was then forthcoming, but also to afford information as -to the current sentiment of his own period: "As for that which concerns -the bewitched persons being recovered out of their agonies by the touch of -the suspected party, it is various and fallible; sometimes the afflicted -person is made sick instead of being made whole by the touch of the -accused; sometimes the power of imagination is such as that the touch of a -person innocent and not accused shall have the same effect. Bodin relates -that a witch who was tried at Nantes was commanded by the judges to touch -a bewitched person, a thing often practised by the judges of Germany in -the Imperial Chamber. The witch was extremely unwilling, but being -compelled by the judges, she cried out, I am undone, and as soon as ever -she touched the afflicted person the witch fell down dead. I think," -continues Mather, "that there is weight in Dr. Cottar's argument, viz. -that the power of healing the sick and possessed was a special grace and -favour of God for the confirmation of the truth of the Gospel; but that -such a gift should be annexed to the touch of wicked witches, as an -infallible sign of their guilt is not easy to be believed. It is a thing -well known, that if a person possessed by an evil spirit is (as oft it -happens) never so outrageous whilst a good man is praying with and for the -afflicted, let him lay his hand on them and the evil spirit is quiet." - -The cases already referred to took place in England. A brief reference may -be here made to two examples which caused considerable sensation in -Scotland,--a country where the belief in Witchcraft was in times past -almost universal; and where, even still, the clear statements of Holy -Scripture on the subject are neither explained away, scoffed at, nor -disbelieved:-- - -In the year 1696 a commission was appointed in Scotland by the Lords of -his Majesty's Privy Council, to inquire into the case of Christian Shaw, -daughter of John Shaw of Bargarran, and the accused persons confronted -before Lord Blantyre, the rest of the commissioners, several others -gentlemen of note and ministers, the accused and in particular Catherine -Campbell were examined in the presence of the commissioners. "When they -[the accused] severally touched the afflicted girl, says the Report, she -was seized with grevious fits and cast into intolerable agonies; others -then present did also touch her, but no such effects followed, and it is -remarkable that when Catherine Campbell touched the girle she was -immediately seized with more grevious fittes and cast into more -intolerable torments than upon the touch of other accused persons, whereat -Campbell herself being daunted and confounded, though she had formerly -declined to bless her, uttered these words, 'The Lord of heaven and earth -bless thee and save thee both body and soul.'"[99] - -During these trials we are informed that the "prisoners were called in, -one by one, and placed about seven or eight feet from the justices and -accusers; then, stood between the justices and them, the prisoners were -ordered to stand right before the justices, with an officer appointed to -hold each hand, lest they should herewith afflict them, and the prisoners' -eyes must be constantly on the justices, for if they looked on the -afflicted they would either fall into fitts or cry out they were much -hurt by them." - -"On the trial of Bridget Bishops," it is further added that, "the -indictment being drawn up according to form, it was testified at the -examination of the prisoner before the magistrates that the bewitched were -extremely tortured. If she did but cast her eye on them they were -presently cast down, and this in such a manner that there could be no -collusion in the business. But upon the touch of her hand upon them when -they lay in their swoones they would immediately revive, and not upon the -touch of anyone else. Moreover, upon the special actions of her body, as -the shaking of her head or the turning up of her eyes, they presently fell -into the same postures, and many of the like accidents fell out while she -was at the bar."[100] - -Most curious are the various details of the trials thus far referred to. -And certain of them may be regarded as trivial, if not absurd and -ridiculous. Nevertheless it should be our careful aim to distinguish -between those facts which were formally, regularly, and clearly -established by positive evidence, and the personal fancies, superstitions, -notions and wild ideas which may possibly accompany the reports of them. -Of course exaggerations may have been made, and impositions not -unfrequently practised; but in the forcible words of Joseph Glanville, we -should remember that "frequency of deceit and fallacy will warrant a -greater care and caution in examining, and a greater scrupulosity and -shyness of assent to, things wherein fraud hath been practised, or may in -the least degree be suspected; but to conclude that, because an old -woman's fancy hath abused her, or some knavish fellow hath put tricks on -the ignorant and timorous, therefore whole assizes have been deceived in -judgment upon matters of fact, and that numbers of persons have been -forsworn in things wherein perjury could not advantage them, I say such -inferences are as void of charity as of good manners.... In things of fact -the people are as much to be believed as the most subtle philosophers and -speculators, since their sense is the judge, but in matters of notion and -theory they are not at all to be heeded, because Reason is to be the judge -of these, and this they know not how to use."[101] - -It must be frankly admitted that these records of trials--of which there -are such numerous examples in print--often contain principles and details -of a most disagreeable and offensive nature. They have been quoted at some -length, however, in order to point out exactly what for many years was -currently believed with regard to Witchcraft; and whatever fanciful -additions were made, or whatever superstitious garnishings were added to -such accounts, by the ignorant or half-informed, there can be little doubt -that, after all reasonable deductions had been made, there was a -considerable substratum of truth underlying each of them, which ought not -to be ignored, and which cannot, on any satisfactory theory, be reasonably -explained away. - -In certain cases the subject of Witchcraft had a somewhat wide and vague -meaning. It not unfrequently covered the practices of all the so-called -"occult sciences," just as in the "Book of Daniel," "the magicians, the -astrologers,[102] the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers," classed together, -were together consulted; so it seems to have been in ancient times in -places, and amongst people who practised Witchcraft and Necromancy. -Invocations of the dead; the use of charms; watching the flight of birds; -"reading the stars;" interpreting dreams, and foretelling future events -by the aid of evil spirits, were all practices which, in a somewhat vague -but popular phraseology, came under the class of sins of the nature of -those directly condemned in Holy Scripture. - -One or two further remarks may be added upon the general subject. From the -amount of evidence which exists, it is impossible to deny that such a -power as Witchcraft has been frequently exercised, and consequently may be -put into practice again. It is idle to assert that it is a mere moral -epidemic, at least for those who take up a Christian standing-point, and -do not deny both the Inspiration of Holy Scripture and the Indefectibility -and Infallibility of the Church Universal, as well as, and in addition to, -well-authenticated historical facts. The practice of Witchcraft has, of -course, been more ordinary in countries which are not Catholic;[103] for -example in Scotland, Sweden, Germany, and North America; though, of -necessity it prevailed very largely with many in England from the period -of the Reformation until the beginning of the eighteenth century, as has -been already sufficiently shown. Thus, many who refused to hear, and abide -by, the message and guidance of Holy Church; who rejected the miracles and -mercies of the Almighty, were sometimes too ready to accept as true, and -participate in the weird works of necromancers, and sometimes to be duped -by the Prince of darkness, through the active instrumentality of his human -agents.[104] - -Without, at this point of our general argument, trenching unduly on a -detail of the subject in its most recent developments, which is carefully -considered at some length in later chapters, it may be well to give a -single example perfectly accurate and most satisfactorily authenticated. - -Here it is:--The friend of a distinguished Scotch peer wished for certain -important and valuable information, which in any ordinary, usual, and -common modes he was, it appears, altogether unable to obtain. He therefore -thought it right and proper to consult a "spiritual medium," and so held a -consultation, made an inquiry, and obtained a response. The following is -the authenticated record of this action:-- - -"A friend of mine was very anxious to find the Will of his grandmother, -who had been dead forty years, but could not even find the certificate of -her death. I went with him to the Marshall's[105] and we had a _seance_; -we sat at a table, and soon the raps came; my friend then asked his -questions _mentally_; he went over the alphabet himself, or sometimes I -did so, not knowing the question. We were told [that] the Will had been -drawn by a man named William Walter, who lived in Whitechapel; the name of -the street and the number of the house were given. We went to Whitechapel, -found the man, and subsequently, through his aid obtained a copy of the -draft; he was quite unknown to us, and had not always lived in that -locality, for he had once seen better days. The medium could not possibly -have known anything about the matter, and even if she had, her knowledge -would have been of no avail, as all the questions were mental ones."[106] - -The specific features of this account are so obvious and well defined, and -the account itself is so remarkably clear in all its various parts, that -nothing more needs to be added, than the simple remark, that if the old -and false principles of Witchcraft and Necromancy are not here again -present and energizing (only appropriately and properly draped in a -nineteenth-century garment, and carefully adapted to the tastes of refined -and educated people), it would be well to find some other principle by -which this, and thousands of other similar cases may be rationally and -openly explained and accounted for, and this from the standing-point of a -firm belief in Historical Christianity. - -From the point of view from which this book is written, it may be -reasonably maintained that recent "spiritual manifestations," as they are -termed, are very possibly only another mode by which in an age of superior -civilization the Prince of the Power of the air, adapting his delusions to -the less coarse tastes and sentiments of his anxious clients and inquiring -followers, produces "lying wonders," false miracles, and delusive -appearances; or unlawfully reveals secrets, affords information in the -present, and gives, or pretends to give, revelations as to the future. - -Many persons in the present day are ready enough (as well they may be,) to -become eloquent on the trivial absurdities and vulgar (too often dark and -obscene) contrivances of the Witchcraft of the seventeenth century. Be it -so. But perhaps, after all, the system as then worked was both skilfully, -intellectually, and well enough adapted for the purposes and aims which -its author had in hand. If the coarse-minded and uneducated of those days -so readily became its agents and workers, coarseness and ignorance were -reasonably and suitably, and perhaps of necessity, used in its operations. -Now, however, the persistent Enemy of mankind, "the Old Serpent,"[107] -appears to have adopted quite another course of tactics, less coarse it -may be, and less revolting (in some particulars) to the sentimental and -shallow, but equally efficacious for his diabolical purposes and eventual -success. Where Witchcraft was formerly practised by ten persons, its new -and more attractive phase, it is to be feared, is now accepted by -thousands. All this, and more, may be gathered later on, when the subject -of "Modern Spiritualism" is duly considered. - - - - -DREAMS, OMENS, WARNINGS, PRESENTIMENTS, AND SECOND SIGHT. - - -"And how will those modern wits, of which our age is so full, account for -this, who allow no God or Providence, no invisible world, no angelic kind -and waking spirits, who, by a secret correspondence with our embodied -spirits, give merciful hints to us of approaching mischief and impending -dangers; and that timely, so as to put the means into our hands to avoid -and escape them?"--_History and Reality of Apparitions_, _by_ Andrew -Moreton, Esq., p. 218. London: 1735. - - "The Soul's dark cottage, batter'd and decay'd, - Lets in new light through chinks which Time hath made." - Edmund Waller. - -"All who read this, I exhort in the Name of the Most Sacred Majesty of our -Most Blessed King, Jesus Christ, to be extremely suspicious of all such -extraordinary appearances, presentiments, trances and predictions; to -examine well and minutely everything; not to look upon those books, which -even pious souls in such a state have written, unconditionally as a divine -revelation; and not to believe their predictions, but to be persuaded, -that though some things may be fulfilled, others may not."--J. H. -Jung-Stilling, _On Forebodings_. London: 1834. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -DREAMS, OMENS, WARNINGS, PRESENTIMENTS, AND SECOND SIGHT. - - -The subjects here set forth for consideration (by which no slight progress -will be made in exhibiting such facts as serve to unfold and make manifest -more plainly the purpose of this treatise), are very wide in their scope. -A large volume might with no great difficulty be compiled upon each -separate subject; for the examples of remarkable dreams and supernatural -omens which are already on record, are exceedingly numerous,[108] while -the warnings and presentiments of danger and death, which are still often -vouchsafed, have been so notably providential in their purport, that many -of the mercifully-bestowed Glimpses of the Supernatural, brought before -the Editor's notice, can only be attributed generally to the goodness of -Almighty God, and particularly either to the intercession of His Saints, -the effectual fervent prayers of those still in the flesh, or the direct -intervention of His Holy Angels, the guardians and guides of Christians. - -Some dreams, especially those of an ordinary character, appear to consist -of the mere revival of old memories and associations regarding persons and -events which have long passed out of the mind, and seem to have been -forgotten. It is often quite impossible to trace the manner in which, or -the method by which, dreams arise; and certainly many of the facts -connected with them do not appear referable to any coherent principle with -which it may truly be said that man is perfectly acquainted. They are -mysterious; they are strange; they are supernatural. At the same time it -is impossible not to remember how frequently the sacred and divine -writings record examples of dreams, by which the Will of God was directly -made known of old to some of His favoured servants. The case of King -Abimelech, warned against taking Abraham's wife (whom he had untruly -called his sister), is an early instance in point.[109] So, too, are the -warnings and directions given by Almighty God to Jacob and Laban. The -dreams of Joseph likewise illustrate the principle which may be readily -discovered and comprehended by the help of Scripture, viz. that some -dreams, whatever others may be, are certainly from God, and ought not to -be disregarded. For the Almighty expressly pledged Himself to make known -His Will to His prophets both by dreams and in visions.[110] And it was by -the former that He appeared to Solomon, graciously and mercifully offering -him a response to any request he might make. "Ask what I shall give thee." -The dreams and visions of Daniel, the Hebrew Prophet, likewise of S. -Joseph of Nazareth, both with regard to the Blessed Virgin and the malice -of Herod; the warning dreams of the Three Eastern Kings; that of Pilate's -wife, and others equally remarkable, are familiar to us all. So that, -whatever theories may be excogitated by some, it is impossible for -Christians to hold any novel and fantastic ideas, which would sweep away -those links which in dreams and visions may still bind together the -natural with the supernatural, and by which, from time to time, in the -present day, warnings and necessary lessons may sometimes be mercifully -vouchsafed and imparted. - -A considerable difficulty has been experienced by the Editor, not only in -testing recent examples which have been brought before him, but in -inducing those who supplied him with them, to allow the use and support of -their names.[111] In the cases to be given, he has spared no reasonable -trouble in their investigation; and, where they are not matters of history -(received and recognized by those who are satisfied with an application of -the ordinary laws of evidence), the reader may rely on the fact that they -have not been embodied in this volume without the most anxious inquiry and -careful sifting of their truth and accuracy. - -Thus much as to his purport and intent. Now let the examples of remarkable -dreams be put on record; after a brief reference has been made to the -belief and expressions of opinion of certain early Christian writers, -obviously formulated upon the basis of scriptural assertions and sacred -examples of old. - -When the body sleeps, as Tertullian remarks,[112] it takes its own -peculiar refreshment, but that refreshment not being adapted to the soul, -which does not rest, she during the inactivity of the bodily members -employs her own. Then in his treatise "On the Soul,"[113] he proceeds to -distinguish between the hallucination of dreaming and insanity. Dreaming -is agreeable to the course and order of Nature, he maintains; but he -rejects the doctrine of Epicurus, in which dreams are disparaged as idle -and fortuitous. He further expresses his conviction that future honours, -dignities, medical remedies, thefts and treasure have been revealed by -dreams--testimonies to which are both numerous and strong. Many dreams, -specially those which are vain, frivolous, impure, and turbulent, may be -attributed to demons. Others, again, proceed from God or holy angels, as -one portion of prophecy. - -Lactantius, in a short passage of his well-known "Tract,"[114] expresses -his conviction of divine agency in dreams. He maintains that the undoubted -testimony of History presents mankind with several most remarkable -verifications of dreams; and he repeats what Tertullian had already -maintained, viz. that part of the economy of prophecy depends upon them. -He holds that Virgil's evidence may be admitted, that dreams are neither -always true nor always false. - -Again, S. Cyprian states that he was divinely instructed in a dream to mix -a little water with the wine for the Holy Eucharist.[115] On the general -subject, S. Basil warns those who may be ready to attribute too great -importance to dreams, to rest contented with the written revelation of -Almighty God in Holy Scripture.[116] S. Bernard, the last of the Fathers, -treats of dreams at great length in his remarkable sermon "On Sleep," -which is full of sage advice of the same nature as that set forth by S. -Basil; and so does S. Thomas Aquinas, who discusses the subject with -singular breadth, fulness, and system, arriving at the conclusion that it -is unreasonable to deny anything--the truth of which is affirmed by -general experience; and he adds that general experience affirms that -dreams very frequently give indications of coming events; and therefore, -concludes that it is lawful to interpret and endeavour to comprehend -them.[117] But at this point, he goes on to maintain that only those -dreams which are suggested by angels may be investigated and interpreted, -those suggested by demons and evil spirits being left alone. But -unfortunately he provides no criterion by which the one class may be -safely and truly distinguished from the other; nor is it easy to supply -the deficiency. - -From another point of view, a thoughtful modern writer[118] has remarked -that "dreams are uniformly the resuscitation or re-embodiment of thoughts -which have formerly, in some shape or other, occupied the mind. They are -old ideas revived, either in an entire state, or heterogeneously mingled -together. I doubt if it be possible," he continues, "for a person to have -in a dream, any idea whose elements did not, in some form, strike him at a -previous period. If these break loose from their connecting chain, and -become jumbled together incoherently, as is often the case, they give rise -to absurd combinations; but the elements still subsist, and only manifest -themselves in a new and unconnected shape." - -This, and such as this, may be quite true; but yet whatever theories the -scientific may propound which seem to oppose the facts of man's -experience, will not in the long run command that adhesion which for -awhile they may possibly obtain. And now for examples: - -The Dream of the so-called "Swaffham Tinker"[119] is singular, and may -well be here reproduced, because it represents an example of the practical -results of dreaming, which is quite worthy of consideration:-- - -"This Tinker, a hard-working, industrious man, one night dreamed that if -he took a journey to London, and placed himself at a certain spot on -London Bridge, he should meet one who would tell him something of great -importance to his future prospects. The Tinker, on whom the dream made a -deep impression, related it fully to his wife in the morning; who, -however, half-laughed at him and half-scolded him for his folly in heeding -such idle fancies. Next night he is said to have re-dreamed the dream; and -again on the third night, when the impression was so powerful on his mind -that he determined, in spite of the remonstrances of his wife and the -ridicule of his neighbours, to go to London and see the upshot of it. -Accordingly he set off for the metropolis on foot, reached it late on the -third day (the distance was ninety miles), and, after the refreshment of a -night's rest, took his station next day on a part of the Bridge answering -to the description in his dream. There he stood all day, and all the -next, and all the third, without any communication as to the purpose of -his journey; so that towards night, on the third day, he began to lose -patience and confidence in his dream, inwardly cursed his folly in -disregarding his wife's counsel, and resolved next day to make the best of -his way home. He still kept his station, however, till late in the -evening, when, just as he was about to depart, a stranger who had noticed -him standing stedfastly and with anxious look on the same spot for some -days, accosted him, and asked him what he waited there for. After a little -hesitation, the Tinker told his errand, though without acquainting him -with the name of the place whence he came. The stranger enjoyed a smile at -the rustic's simplicity, and advised him to go home and for the future to -pay no attention to dreams. 'I myself,' said he, 'if I were disposed to -put faith in such things, might now go a hundred miles into the country -upon a similar errand. I dreamed three nights this week that if I went to -a place called Swaffham in Norfolk, and dug under an apple-tree in a -certain garden on the north side of the town I should find a box of money; -but I have something else to do than run after such idle fancies! No, no, -my friend; go home, and work well at your calling, and you will find there -the riches you are seeking here.' The astonished Tinker did not doubt that -this was the communication he had been sent to London to receive, but he -merely thanked the stranger for his advice, and went away avowing his -intention to follow it. Next day he set out for home, and on his arrival -there said little to his wife touching his journey; but next morning he -rose betimes and began to dig on the spot he supposed to be pointed out by -the stranger. When he had got a few feet down, the spade struck upon -something hard, which turned out to be an iron chest. This he quickly -carried to his house, and when he had with difficulty wrenched open the -lid, found it, to his great joy, to be full of money. After securing his -treasure, he observed on the lid of the box an inscription, which, -unlearned as he was, he could not decipher. But by a stratagem he got the -description read without any suspicion on the part of his neighbours by -some of the Grammar School lads, and found it to be-- - - 'Where this stood - Is another twice as good.' - -And in truth on digging again the lucky Tinker disinterred, below the -place where the first chest had lain, a second twice as large, also full -of gold and silver coin. It is stated that, become thus a wealthy man, the -Tinker showed his thankfulness to Providence by building a new chancel to -the church, the old one being out of repair. And whatever fiction the -marvellous taste of those ages may have mixed up with the tale, certain it -is that there is shown to this day a monument in Swaffham Church, having -an effigy in marble, said to be that of the Tinker with his Dog at his -side and his tools and implements of trade lying about him." - -Among the various histories of singular dreams and corresponding events, -the following, which occurred in the early part of the eighteenth century, -seems to merit being here placed on record. Its authenticity will appear -from the relation; and it may surely be maintained that a more -extraordinary concurrence of fortuitous and accidental circumstances can -scarcely be produced or paralleled:-- - -"One Adam Rogers, a creditable and decent man of good sense and repute, -who kept an inn at Portlaw, a small hamlet nine or ten miles from -Waterford, in Ireland, dreamed one night that he saw two men at a -particular green spot on the adjoining mountain; one of them a small, -sickly-looking man, the other remarkably strong and large. He then saw the -latter man murder the other, upon which he awoke in great agitation. - -"The circumstances of the dream were so distinct and forcible that he -continued much affected by them. He related them to his wife, and also to -several neighbours next morning. - -"In some time he went out coursing with greyhounds, accompanied amongst -others by one Mr. Browne, the Roman Catholic priest of the parish. He soon -stopped at the above-mentioned particular green spot on the mountain, and -calling Mr. Browne, pointed it out to him, and told him what had happened -there. During the remainder of the day he thought little more about it. - -"Next morning he was extremely startled at seeing two strangers enter his -house at about eleven o'clock in the forenoon. He immediately went into an -inner room, and desired his wife to take particular notice, for they were -precisely the two men he had seen in his dream. - -"After the strangers had taken some refreshment, and were about to depart -in order to prosecute their journey, Rogers earnestly entreated the little -man at once to quit his fellow-traveller. He assured him that if he would -remain with him that day he would accompany him to Carrick the next -morning--that being the town to which the travellers were proceeding. He -was unwilling and ashamed to tell the cause of his being so solicitous to -separate him from his companion. But as he observed that Hickey (which was -the name of the little man) seemed to be quiet and gentle in his -deportment, and had money about him, and that the other had a ferocious, -bad countenance, the dream still recurred to him. He dreaded that -something fatal would happen, and wished at all events to keep them -asunder. - -"However, the humane precautions of Rogers proved ineffectual, for -Caulfield (such was the other's name) prevailed upon Hickey to continue -with him on their way to Carrick, declaring that as they had long -travelled together, they should not part, but remain together until he -should see Hickey safely arrived at the habitation of his friends. The -wife of Rogers was much dissatisfied when she heard they were gone, and -blamed her husband exceedingly for not being absolutely peremptory in -detaining Hickey. - -"About an hour after they left Portlaw, in a lonely part of the mountain, -just near the place observed by Rogers in his dream, Caulfield took the -opportunity of murdering his companion. It appeared afterwards from his -own account of the horrid transaction, that as they were getting over a -ditch he struck Hickey on the back part of the head with a stone, and when -he fell down into the trench in consequence of the blow, Caulfield gave -him several stabs with a knife, and cut his throat so deeply that the head -was observed to be almost severed from his body. He then rifled Hickey's -pockets of all the money in them, took part of his clothes and everything -else of value about him, and afterwards proceeded on his way to Carrick. -He had not been long gone when the body, still warm, was discovered by -some labourers who were returning to their work from dinner. - -"The report of the murder soon reached Portlaw. Rogers and his wife went -to the place and instantly knew the body of him whom they had in vain -endeavoured to dissuade from going on with his treacherous companion. They -at once spoke out their suspicions that the murder was perpetrated by the -fellow-traveller of the deceased. An immediate search was made, and -Caulfield was apprehended at Waterford the second day after. - -"He was brought to trial at the ensuing assizes and convicted of the fact. -It appeared amongst other circumstances that when he went to Carrick he -hired a horse and a boy to conduct him--not by the usual road, but by that -which runs on the north side of the river Suir--to Waterford, intending to -take his passage in the first ship from thence to Newfoundland. The boy -took notice of some blood on his shirt, and Caulfield gave him a -half-crown to promise not to speak of it. - -"Rogers proved not only that Hickey was last seen in company with -Caulfield, but that a pair of new shoes which Hickey wore had been found -on the feet of Caulfield when he was apprehended; and that a pair of old -shoes which he had on at Rogers's house were upon Hickey's feet when the -body was found. He described with great exactness every article of their -clothes. Caulfield on the cross-examination, shrewdly asked him from the -dock whether it was not very extraordinary that he, who kept a -public-house, should take such particular notice of the dress of a -stranger accidentally calling there? Rogers in his answer said he had a -very particular reason, but he was ashamed to mention it. The court and -the prisoner insisted on his declaring it. He gave a circumstantial -narrative of his dream, called upon Mr. Browne, the priest, then in -court, to corroborate his testimony, and said that his wife had severely -reproached him for permitting Hickey to leave their house, when he knew -that in the short footway to Carrick they must necessarily pass by the -green spot in the mountain which had appeared in his dream. - -"A number of witnesses came forward, and the proofs were so strong that -the jury without hesitation found the prisoner guilty. - -"It was remarked as a singularity that he happened to be tried and -sentenced by his namesake, Sir George Caulfeild, at that time Lord Chief -Justice of the King's Bench, which office he resigned in the summer of the -year 1760. - -"After sentence Caulfield confessed the fact. It came that Hickey had been -in the West Indies two and twenty years, but falling into a bad state of -health, he was returning to his native country (Ireland) bringing with him -some money his industry had acquired. The vessel on board which he took -his passage was, by stress of weather, driven into Minehead. He there met -with Frederick Caulfield, an Irish sailor, who was poor and much -distressed for clothes and common necessaries. Hickey compassionating his -poverty, and finding he was his countryman, relieved his wants, and an -intimacy commenced between them. They agreed to go to Ireland together; -and it was remarked on their passage that Caulfield spoke contemptuously, -and often said it was a pity that such a puny fellow as Hickey should -have money, and he himself without a shilling. They landed at Waterford, -at which place they stayed some days, Caulfield being all the time -supported by Hickey, who bought some clothes for him. The assizes being -held in the town during that time, it was afterwards recollected that they -were both at the Court-house, and attended the whole of a trial of a -shoemaker who was convicted of the murder of his wife. But this made no -impression on the hardened mind of Caulfield, for the very next day he -perpetrated the same crime on the road between Waterford and -Carrick-on-Suir, near which town Hickey's relations lived. - -"He walked to the gallows with firm step and undaunted countenance. He -spoke to the multitude who surrounded him, and in the course of his -address mentioned that he had been bred at a charter-school, from which he -was taken as an apprenticed servant by William Izod, Esq., of the county -of Kilkenny. From this position he ran away on being corrected for some -faults, and had been absent from Ireland six years. He confessed also that -he had several times intended to murder Hickey on the road from Waterford -to Portlaw, which, though in general not a road much frequented, yet -people at that time continually coming in sight, prevented him. - -"Being frustrated in all his schemes, the sudden and total disappointment -threw him probably into an indifference for life. Some tempers are so -stubborn and rugged that nothing can affect them, but immediate sensation. -If to this be united the darkest ignorance, death to such characters will -hardly seem terrible, because they can form no conception of what it is, -and still less of the consequences that may follow." - -The record of the following dream is certainly curious and interesting, -and is perfectly well authenticated, coming as it does from the pen of the -gentleman's son more immediately concerned, who testified as to its -literal fulfilment:-- - -"In the year 1768 my father, Matthew Talbot, Esq., of Castle Talbot, in -the county of Wexford, was much surprised at the recurrence of a dream -three several times during the same night, which caused him to repeat the -whole circumstance to his lady the following morning. He dreamed that he -had arisen as usual and descended to his library, the morning being hazy. -He then seated himself at his _secretaire_ to write; when, happening to -look up a long avenue of trees opposite the window, he perceived a man in -a blue jacket mounted on a white horse coming towards the house. My father -arose and opened the window. The man advancing, presented him with a roll -of papers, and told him they were invoices of a vessel which had been -wrecked and had drifted in during the night on his son-in-law's, Lord -Mountmorris's, estate close by, and signed '_Bell and Stephenson_.' My -father's attention was only called to the dream from its frequent -recurrence: but, when he found himself seated at his desk on the misty -morning, and beheld the identical person whom he had seen in his dream in -the blue coat riding on the grey horse, he felt surprised, and opening the -window waited the man's approach. He immediately rode up, and drawing from -his pocket a packet of papers, gave them to my father, stating they were -invoices belonging to an American vessel which had been wrecked, and -drifted in upon his lordship's estate; that there was no person on board -to lay claim to the wreck, but that the invoices were signed '_Stephenson -and Bell_.' I assure you that the above is most faithfully given by me as -it actually occurred; but it is not more extraordinary than other examples -of the prophetic powers of the mind or soul in sleep which I have -frequently heard related."[120] - -Another remarkable dream, exceedingly well authenticated by an aunt of the -Editor of this volume, is now set forth in detail and at some length:-- - -"On the night of the 11th of May, 1812, Mr. Williams, of Scorrier House, -near Redruth, in Cornwall, awoke his wife, and exceedingly agitated, told -her that he had dreamed that he was in the lobby of the House of Commons, -and saw a man shoot with a pistol a gentleman who had just entered the -lobby, who was said to be the Chancellor, to which Mrs. Williams naturally -replied that it was only a dream, and recommended him to be composed, and -go to sleep as soon as he could. - -"He did so, but shortly after again woke her; and said that he had the -second time had the same dream; whereupon she observed that he had been so -much agitated with his former dream that she supposed it had dwelt on his -mind, and begged of him to try to compose himself and go to sleep, which -he did. A third time the same vision was repeated, on which, -notwithstanding her entreaties that he would be quiet, and endeavour to -forget it, he arose, being then between one and two o'clock, and dressed -himself. - -"At breakfast the dreams were the sole subject of conversation, and in the -forenoon Mr. Williams went to Falmouth, where he related the particulars -of them to all his acquaintance that he met. - -"On the following day, Mr. Tucker, of Trematon Castle, accompanied by his -wife, a daughter of Mr. Williams, went to Scorrier House about dusk. -Immediately after the first salutation, on their entering the parlour, -where were Mr., Mrs., and Miss Williams, Mr. Williams began to relate to -Mr. Tucker the circumstances of his dream; and Mrs. Williams observed to -her daughter, Mrs. Tucker, laughingly, that her father could not even -suffer Mr. Tucker to be seated before he told him of his nocturnal -visitation; on the statement of which Mr. Tucker observed that it would do -very well for a dream to have the Chancellor in the lobby of the House of -Commons, but that he would not be found there in reality; and Mr. Tucker -then asked what sort of man he appeared to be, when Mr. Williams minutely -described him; to which Mr. Tucker replied: 'Your description is not at -all that of the Chancellor, but is certainly very exactly that of Mr. -Perceval, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and although he has been to me -the greatest enemy I ever met with through life, for a supposed cause -which had no foundation in truth (or words to that effect), I should be -exceedingly sorry, indeed, to hear of his being assassinated, or of any -injury of the kind happening to him.' - -"Mr. Tucker then inquired of Mr. Williams if he had ever seen Mr. -Perceval, and was told that he never had seen him, nor had ever even -written to him, either on public or private business; in short, that he -never had had anything to do with him, nor had he ever been in the lobby -of the House of Commons in his life. - -"At this moment, whilst Mr. Williams and Mr. Tucker were still standing, -they heard a horse gallop to the door of the House, and immediately after, -Mr. Michael Williams of Trevince (son of Mr. Williams of Scorrier), -entered the room and said that he had galloped out from Truro (from which -Scorrier House is distant seven miles), having seen a gentleman there, who -had come by that evening's mail from London, who said that he was in the -lobby of the House of Commons, on the evening of the 11th, when a man -called Bellingham had shot Mr. Perceval, and that, as it might occasion -some great ministerial changes, and might affect Mr. Tucker's political -friends, he had come out as fast as he could to make him acquainted with -it, having heard at Truro that he had passed through that place in the -afternoon on his way to Scorrier. - -"After the astonishment which this intelligence had created had a little -subsided, Mr. Williams described most particularly the appearance and -dress of the man whom he had seen in his dream fire the pistol, as he had -before done of Mr. Perceval. - -"About six weeks after, Mr. Williams, having business in town, went -accompanied by a friend to the House of Commons, where (as has been -already observed) he had never before been. Immediately that he came to -the steps at the entrance of the lobby, he said: 'This place is as -distinctly within my recollection in my dream, as any room in my house,' -and he made the same observation when he entered the lobby. - -"He then pointed out the exact spot where Bellingham stood when he fired, -and where Mr. Perceval had reached when he was struck by the ball, and -where and how he fell. The dress, both of Mr. Perceval and Bellingham, -agreed with the descriptions given by Mr. Williams, even to the most -minute particular."[121] - -The number of records in which it is believed that dreams have been the -means by which murder has been discovered are so considerable; and some -are so well authenticated, that it is impossible, as it certainly would be -presumptuous, to endeavour to set them aside. The murder of Maria Marten -of Polstead in Suffolk, by William Corder, a farmer, in May of the year -1827, is a remarkable example:-- - -This unfortunate woman was induced to leave her home, and having -accompanied the man who, under the promise of marriage, had betrayed her, -to a certain barn, was there cruelly murdered and buried under the floor. -For nearly twelve months the murder was undiscovered; for Corder, who -remained away, but still communicated with her parents, maintained that -she had married him; that circumstances prevented his bringing her back to -his father's home: but that in due course they would both come, though it -was implied that they were both on the Continent. - -The mother of the murdered woman, however, about ten months after her -daughter's death, dreamed that her daughter had been murdered, and buried -under the floor of the barn. So strong and deep an impression did this -make both on her relations and the people of the village, that the girl's -father and others on April 19, 1828, took up the floor of the barn, where -they discovered the body of the murdered woman in a sack; and not so much -decayed but that obvious marks of violence were perceptible. The body was -successfully identified by the want of two teeth--one on the left side of -the upper jaw, and the other on the right side of the lower. In the -meantime Corder had married, and had gone to live in Essex, where he was -apprehended, tried, and condemned on the strongest circumstantial -evidence. He made a full confession of the murder when in prison, under -sentence of death, and was executed in August, 1828. - -The following sets forth how an impressive, vivid, and twice-repeated -dream induced a sailor to go to the place dreamed of, and rescue three -suffering fellow-creatures from a horrible death. It was related to a -Cornish friend, as a matter of fact, by a native of the island of -Alderney, and is quite worthy of being here recorded:-- - -"Some few years before the erection of those well-known lighthouses called -the Caskets, near that island, an islander dreamed that a ship had been -wrecked near those rocks, and that some part of the crew had saved -themselves upon them. This dream he related on the quay; but the sailors -(although the most superstitious people in the world) treated it as an -idle fancy. Yet the next night produced the same dream, and the man would -no longer be laughed out of it; so he prevailed upon a companion the next -morning to take a boat and go with him to the rock, where they found three -poor wretches half-starved with cold and hunger, and brought them on -shore. This circumstance, and the supposed loss of the 'Victory' on this -rock, the islanders give as a reason for erecting three lighthouses -there." - -Still more remarkable perhaps is the following, which, telling its own -story, and abundantly illustrating the reality of the Supernatural, needs -no comment:-- - -"The Rev. Mr. Perring, Vicar of a parish which is now a component part of -London, though, about forty-five years ago it had the appearance of a -village at the outskirts, had to encounter the sad affliction of losing -his eldest Son at an age when parents are encouraged to believe their -children are to become their survivors; the youth dying in his seventeenth -year. He was buried in the vaults of the church. - -"Two nights subsequently to that interment, the father dreamed[122] that -he saw his Son habited in a shroud spotted with blood, the expression of -his countenance being that of a person enduring some paroxysm of acute -pain: 'Father, father! come and defend me!' were the words he distinctly -heard, as he gazed on this awe-inspiring apparition; 'they will not let me -rest quiet in my coffin.' - -"The venerable man awoke with terror and trembling; but after a brief -interval of painful reflection concluded himself to be labouring under the -influence of his sad day-thoughts, and the depression of past sufferings; -and with these rational assurances commended himself to the All-Merciful, -and slumbered again and slept. - -"He saw his Son again beseeching him to protect his remains from outrage, -'For,' said the apparently surviving dead one, 'they are mangling my body -at this moment.' The unhappy Father rose at once, being now unable to -banish the fearful image from his mind, and determined when day should -dawn to satisfy himself of the delusiveness or verity of the revelation -conveyed through this seeming voice from the grave. - -"At an early hour, accordingly, he repaired to the Clerk's house, where -the keys of the church and of the vaults were kept. The Clerk after -considerable delay, came down-stairs, saying it was very unfortunate he -should want them just on that very day, as his son over the way had taken -them to the smith's for repair,--one of the largest of the bunch of keys -having been broken off short in the main door of the vault, so as to -render it impracticable for anybody to enter till the lock had been picked -and taken off. - -"Impelled by the worst misgivings, the Vicar loudly insisted on the -Clerk's accompanying him to the blacksmith's--not for a key but for a -crowbar, it being his resolute determination to enter the vault and see -his Son's coffin without a moment's delay. - -"The recollections of the dream were now becoming more and more vivid, and -the scrutiny about to be made assumed a solemnity mingled with awe, which -the agitation of the father rendered terrible to the agents in this -forcible interruption into the resting-place of the dead. But the hinges -were speedily wrenched asunder--the bar and bolts were beaten in and bent -beneath the heavy hammer of the smith,--and at length with tottering and -outstretched hands, the maddened parent stumbled and fell: his son's -coffin had been lifted from the recess at the vault's side and deposited -on the brick floor; the lid, released from every screw, lay loose at top, -and the body, enveloped in its shroud, on which were several dark spots -below the chin, lay exposed to view; the head had been raised, the broad -riband had been removed from under the jaw, which now hung down with the -most ghastly horror of expression, as if to tell with more terrific -certainty the truth of the preceding night's vision. _Every tooth in the -head had been drawn._ - -"The young man had when living a beautiful set of sound teeth. The Clerk's -Son, who was a barber, cupper, and dentist, had possessed himself of the -keys, and eventually of the teeth, for the purpose of profitable -employment of so excellent a set in his line of business. The feelings of -the Rev. Mr. Perring can be easily conceived. The event affected his mind -through the remaining term of his existence; but what became of the -delinquent whose sacrilegious hand had thus rifled the tomb was never -afterwards correctly ascertained. He decamped the same day, and was -supposed to have enlisted as a soldier. The Clerk was ignominiously -displaced, and did not long survive the transaction. Some years -afterwards, his house was pulled down to afford room for extensive -improvements and new buildings in the village. - -"As regards the occurrence itself, few persons were apprised of it; as the -Vicar--shunning public talk and excitement on the subject of any member of -his family--exerted himself in concealing the circumstances as much as -possible. The above facts, however, may be strictly relied on as -accurate." - -A somewhat similar dream is recorded in the following statement, copied -from the public prints, the fact of which has been authenticated by a -correspondent in Scotland, who furnished the Editor with it. The -paragraph, now to be quoted, appeared some years ago in the "Scotsman" -newspaper, and was quoted in the "Times" of Tuesday, April 25, 1865:-- - -"The legal proceedings which lately took place in the Sheriff Court of -Clackmannanshire, with regard to the violation of a grave in the -churchyard at Alloa, and the unwarrantable exhumation of the body of James -Quin, had their origin, it is stated, in a remarkable dream of the mother -of the deceased. Young Quin died in September, 1863, and was buried in a -lair in the churchyard, which was purchased by his father from William -Donaldson, the Kirk Treasurer, it being agreed that the price was to be -paid by instalments. About six months afterwards, Robert Blair, the sexton -or grave-digger, took upon himself (without the authority, it would -appear, of Donaldson) to sell the same lair to another person, and to -inter therein a relative of the new purchaser, without, however, at the -time exhuming the body of Quin, the former tenant. Some considerable time -after this the mother of Quin being desirous of erecting a head-stone on -the grave of her son, made some inquiries with that view, in the course of -which she heard something of another person having been buried in his -grave, this having, as she stated, been 'cast up' by Blair's nephew to a -younger son of hers on their way from Sunday-school. But the grave-digger -denied the truth of this story, and managed to pacify her. Feeling, -however, that he had got into a scrape by the lair having been resold, he, -some weeks after Mrs. Quin had interrogated him on the subject, dug up the -body of her son during the night of Thursday, the 23rd of March last, and -reinterred it in the other ground. Now, on that very Thursday night, as -sworn to by Mrs. Quin, at the trial, she had this remarkable dream:-- - -"She dreamt that her boy stood in his nightgown, at her bedside, and said -to her, 'Oh, mother, put me back to my own bed.' She then awoke her -husband, and forgetting in her half-dreaming state that her son was dead, -said to him, 'Jemmie is out of his bed; put him back into it;' after which -she fell asleep, and again had the same dream. - -"A third time, during the same night, she dreamt that her son was standing -beside her bed; but on this occasion remembering that he was dead, the -figure of the grave-digger was mixed up with that of the boy, and he -appeared to be shoving his spade into the body. Awakening in great -trepidation, and feeling certain that her boy had been taken out of his -grave, she went to the grave-digger and vehemently accused him of having -dug up the body, which, after prevarication, he at last admitted. Hence -arose the action of damages against Donaldson, the Kirk Treasurer, and -Blair, the grave-digger, which being restricted to twelve pounds was -brought in the Small Debt Court. The Sheriff, after a long proof, -assoilzied Donaldson, and found Blair liable in damages, which, the -parties not having settled the same extrajudicially, have since been -assessed at five pounds." - -Another dream, equally remarkable, by which a warning was given, and in a -measure attended to by the dreamer, now follows; although not so weirdly -tragic as that relating to the Perring Family, yet it efficiently serves -to shadow forth the proximity of the spiritual world; and, it may be, in -this example, the direct intervention of a guardian-angel:-- - -"Some years ago a clergyman named W---- was visiting an old college -friend, Canon Hutchinson of Blurton Vicarage, near Trentham, and being a -good pedestrian, proposed to accomplish his journey home again from -Trentham to Birmingham, which place he desired to reach by ten o'clock one -morning, on foot. In order to do this he intended to leave Blurton at four -o'clock a.m. on a certain day; and so retired to rest the previous evening -at an unusually early hour. During the night he had a vivid and remarkable -dream, which deeply impressed him. He dreamt that whilst he was on his -walking journey between Tamworth and Sutton, upon a very lonely road -enclosed by tall hedges, he heard a rough voice cry out, 'Ah, Jack, are -you there?' and looking round saw two exceedingly ill-looking men jumping -down from an elevated part of the bank under the hedge, and alighting -close to him on the path below. Their countenances and suspicious bearing -seemed to bespeak their evil intentions. Presently one of them all of a -sudden presented a pistol at him. The clergyman imagined that he had only -a moment or two in which to commend his soul to God, which he did with -earnestness, when the pistol was fired and his life thus taken away. Here -the dream ended and he awoke. It left an uneasy impression on his mind, -but being naturally of an undaunted spirit, and a firm believer in the -protection of Almighty God, he did not hesitate to leave his friend's -house at the early period determined on. After walking for about an hour -and a half, and when a few miles from Sutton Coldfield, where all of a -sudden, as regards locality, he realized the minutest details of the -dream, two men coming through the hedge suddenly overtook him. One -addressed the other in the words already set forth. They were in every -particular, even to features, dress, and demeanour, identical with those -whom he had seen in the dream. They accompanied him, keeping close to his -side, and watched him with very mysterious looks. He was deeply startled -and alarmed, but lifted up his heart to God for guidance, direction, and -protection. Soon they all reached a broad and dreary common, upon the -extreme distant edge of which stood a small inn, whither he resolved to go -for refreshment in the hope of shaking off his companions. Here for awhile -they separated; but, on entering the house and asking to be supplied with -tea, he found that the two men had followed him, and were asking for -refreshments likewise. After waiting for some time, he determined on -leaving the inn by a path at its back entrance, which, from knowing -something of the locality, he believed would take him by a nearer way to -Sutton Coldfield. This turned out to be the case; for by his action he -successfully avoided the two tramps, who were afterwards taken up and -imprisoned for some marked offence against the laws of the land."[123] - -A warning of a very similar character may now be narrated, in which the -curious point seems to be that it was given so many years before it was -needed, though its efficiency was fully made manifest when the actual -danger threatened:-- - -"The Housekeeper of a county family in Oxfordshire dreamt one night that -she had been left alone in the house upon a Sunday evening, and that -hearing a knock at the door of the chief entrance, she went to it, and -there found an ill-looking tramp armed with a bludgeon, who insisted on -forcing himself into the house. She thought that she struggled for some -time to prevent him so doing, but quite ineffectually; and that being -struck down by him and rendered insensible, he thereupon gained ingress -to the mansion. On this she awoke. - -"She at once mentioned her dream to some of her fellow-servants, and also, -a few days later, to the Master of the House. The latter, smiling, -pooh-poohed it; but remarked that 'all the greater care should be taken by -the servants to see that the fastenings were secure.' - -"As nothing happened for a considerable period, the circumstance of the -dream was soon forgotten; and, as she herself asserts, had altogether -passed away from her mind. However, many years afterwards, this same -Housekeeper was left with two other servants to take charge of an isolated -mansion at Kensington (subsequently the town residence of the family), -when, on a certain Sunday evening, her fellow-servants having gone out and -left her alone, she was suddenly startled by a loud knock at the front -door. - -"All of a sudden the remembrance of her former dream returned to her with -singular vividness and remarkable force, and she felt her lonely isolation -greatly. Accordingly, having at once lighted a lamp on the hall -table--during which act the loud knock was repeated with vigour--she took -the precaution to go up to a landing on the stair, throw up the window, -and there, to her intense terror, she saw in the flesh the very man whom -years previously she had seen in her dream, armed with a bludgeon and -demanding an entrance. With great presence of mind she went down to the -chief entrance, made that and other doors and windows more secure, and -then rang the various bells of the house violently, and placed lights in -the upper rooms. It was concluded that by these acts the intruder was -scared away. It turned out afterwards that the lodge-keeper, having left -two children to guard the entrance, they had been terrified into admitting -the tramp into the garden; and that the latter had fastened them into the -lodge, where they were found in a considerable state of alarm by the two -servants on their return home."[124] - -Another example of a warning attended to, which had been given in a dream, -and acted upon immediately afterwards, comes to the Editor on conclusive -evidence of its undoubted truth and authenticity: - -A Scotch lady, a relation of the late J. R. Hope Scott, Esq., of -Abbotsford, dreamt that her nephew, a promising young student of the -University of Edinburgh, had been drowned with two companions with whom -he had made an engagement to take an excursion by boat on the Frith of -Forth. So much impressed was she by this dream, that she rose two hours -earlier than usual in the morning, and sent off her man-servant at once to -prevail upon her nephew to give up his engagement. On being pressed he did -so. His companions (who had also been warned not to go,) went without him, -and alone, that is, without an experienced sailor. The boat was capsized -and they were both drowned. - -In the case which is now to follow, the warning given, not having been -acted upon at once, came too late. It was narrated to the Editor, _viva -voce_, in 1866, by the late Dr. J. M. Neale:-- - -"In the autumn of the year 1845, one of the maid-servants of the then -rector of Shepperton, a village on the Thames, near Chertsey, dreamed that -her brother, a respectable and steady youth belonging to that place, was -drowned. The dream was singularly vivid. In it she further imagined that -she actually went to search for her brother's body, and that, after -seeking for some time, she found it at a certain part of the river, which -she knew well, near the brink, and in a particular position. This dream -took place on a Saturday night. When she awoke on the Sunday morning, she -at once acquainted her fellow-servant (who saw how deep an impression the -dream had evidently made), and remarked that she ought at once to obtain -her master's leave to go home on the morrow, and warn her brother, who -was unable to swim, not to go out on to the river. The leave was given, -and her home was soon reached, but alas! the warning had come too late. -Her brother had gone rowing on the Sunday evening, the boat was -accidentally upset, and he was drowned. The body was not recovered for -some time; nor was it found near the spot where the accident had happened. -But it was found by the poor youth's sister, lower down the river, and -exactly in the same place and position as had been so forcibly and clearly -prefigured in her impressive dream." - -The following example of a dream which occurred about twenty years ago, by -which the fact of a murder was made known, being likewise well -authenticated and of considerable interest, is now set forth:-- - -"On Saturday, the 30th of July, 1853, the dead body of a young woman was -discovered in a field at Littleport, in the isle of Ely. The body has not -yet been identified, and there can be little doubt that the young woman -was murdered. At the adjourned inquest, held on the 29th August before Mr. -William Marshall, one of the coroners for the Isle, the following -extraordinary evidence was given:-- - -"James Jessop, an elderly, respectable-looking labourer, with a face of -the most perfect stolidity, and who possessed a most curiously-shaped -skull, broad and flat on the top, and projecting greatly on each side over -the ears, deposed--'I live about a furlong and a half from where the body -was found. I have seen the body of the deceased. I have never seen her -before her death. On the night of Friday, the 29th of July, I dreamt three -successive times that I heard the cry of murder issuing from near the -bottom of a close called Little Ditchment Close (the place where the body -was found). The first time I dreamt I heard the cry it awoke me. I fell -asleep again and dreamt the same thing. I then awoke again and told my -wife I could not rest, but I dreamt it again after that. I got up between -four and five o'clock, but I did not go down to the close, the wheat and -barley in which has been since cut. - -"'I dreamt once about twenty years ago that I saw a woman hanging in a -barn, and on passing the next morning the barn which had appeared to me in -my dream, I entered and did find a woman there hanging, and cut her down -in time to save her life. I never told my wife that I heard cries of -"murder," but I have mentioned it to several persons since. I saw the body -on the Saturday it was found. I did not mention my dream to any one till a -day or two after that. I saw the field distinctly in my dream and the -trees therein, but I saw no person in it. On the night of the murder the -wind lay from that spot to my house.' - -"Rhoda Jessop, wife of the last witness, stated that her husband related -his dreams to her on the evening of the day that the body was -found."[125] - -Another case, deeply interesting, and certainly more dramatic in the -nature and importance of the very practical results which followed from -the action taken upon it, than even that already recorded of the Perring -family (for it greatly benefited the living), is now narrated. The -interesting account, which, with the greatest simplicity, and in the -actual words of the persons advantaged, records the plain facts, tells its -own story with considerable power. Frivolous and pointless as are so many -dreams, without intelligible purpose or sequence of action, this is one -which it may be reasonably held can only be explained by a firm belief in -a superintending Providence, in other words in Almighty God, Who, as an -old writer asserts, "sometimes warneth and instructeth in dreams," and Who -mercifully uses the ministry both of angels and men for carrying out His -Divine purpose:-- - -"A Gloucestershire gentleman in good circumstances, who for many years had -lived a retired life, quite apart from his relations, some of whom in a -previous year had been cast in a lawsuit with him for the recovery of -certain properties, suddenly died, and, as was supposed, died intestate. - -"He had long intended, at the advice of the Rector of the village in which -he dwelt, and with whom alone he was on terms of intimacy, to make certain -provisions by will on behalf of the relations in question, who had lost -much by his successful lawsuit. However, this (as was believed by his -family lawyer, residing in an adjacent country town, who proceeded to -settle his affairs) had not been done; and the whole of his property -consequently seemed likely to go to his heir-at-law, a man of property, -almost unknown to him. - -"Five months after his death, however, the Rector of the parish in which -he had lived, had what he termed 'a waking dream,' in which he imagined -that the deceased gentleman came to him in sorrow, and solemnly conjured -him to obtain possession of a Will, which had been duly made by him in -London a few months before his decease, and which was in the custody of a -firm of attorneys there, which Will was so drawn as that the relations in -question should greatly benefit by the just and righteous disposition -therein of his property. Imagining the dream to be only a dream and -nothing more, he took no notice of it, and regarded it as the mere result -of his own imagination. - -"In about a fortnight, however, the identical dream occurred again--with -the simple difference that the deceased gentleman bore an expression of -deeper grief, and appeared to urge him, in still stronger terms, to obtain -the Will. The Rector was much impressed by this; but on careful reflection -upon the following day, appeared indisposed, on such testimony, to -interfere with arrangements which were then being made for the settlement -of the deceased person's affairs, on the supposition that he had left no -Will. And consequently he did nothing. - -"A third time, however, about eight days afterwards, he had the same -dream, with certain additional details of import and moment. The deceased -person, as the Rector imagined, appearing once again, urged him most -vehemently and solemnly to do as he wished, and to go and obtain the Will. -A conversation took place as it were in the dream, and the clergyman set -forth many cogent arguments why he should not be called upon to undertake -a work, which might not only be misunderstood, but might render him liable -to misrepresentations, if not to trouble and annoyance. - -"However, at last he consented, and, in his dream, accompanied the -deceased person to a certain lawyer's office at a certain number, on a -certain floor in Staple Inn, on the south side of Holborn, where the -drawer in a writing-table was opened, and he saw the packet containing the -Will sealed in three places, with the deceased person's armorial bearings. -The whole room was before him vividly. It was panelled in oak, picked out -with white and pale green, and over the mantel-piece hung an engraving of -Lord Eldon. - -"The Rector awoke, and resolved without delay to do as he was enjoined. -Before proceeding, he mentioned the circumstance of the thrice-repeated -dream to a clerical friend, who volunteered to accompany him to London on -his important errand. - -"They went together. Neither had ever been to Staple Inn before; nor did -they know its exact whereabouts. On inquiry, however, it was soon found. -And so was the room and office, with the furniture and print of Lord -Eldon, which had been seen beforehand by the Rector in the dream, to his -intense awe and wonderment. Even the peculiar handles of the -writing-table, which were of brass and old-fashioned, were those which had -been clearly apparent. The identical drawer was opened, and the Will, -secured in an envelope of stout paper and sealed with three impressions, -was found, just as it had been seen in the dream. The lawyer, who at once -gave every facility for inquiry, was a junior partner in the firm which -had drawn it up, and had only recently come to London, from a cathedral -city, where the firm in question had a branch office, on the death of the -chief partner. The Will was found to be good and valid, and was in due -course proved. Under it the relations, who had so suffered by the loss of -their law-suit as to have been almost reduced to penury, obtained their -due. The whole of these facts are vouched for by a friend of the Editor of -this book."[126] - -The following example of presentiment of death is also well authenticated. -It occurred on board one of the ships of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth in -the year 1850. From the MS. account, furnished by one thoroughly able to -give an exact record, the following is taken:-- - -"The officers being one day at the Mess-table, a young Lieutenant -R----suddenly laid down his knife and fork, pushed away his plate, and -turned extremely pale. He then rose from the table, covering his face with -his hands, and retired from the room. The President of the mess, supposing -him to be ill, sent one of the young men to inquire what was the matter. -At first Mr. R---- was unwilling to speak; but, on being pressed, he -confessed that he had been seized by a sudden and irresistible impression -that a brother he had in India was dead. 'He died,' said he, 'on the 12th -of August at six o'clock, I am perfectly sure of it.' No argument could -overthrow this conviction, which, in due course of post, was verified to -the letter. The young man had died at Cawnpore at the precise period -mentioned." - -Under the heading of "Singular Prognostication," "The Times" of April the -17th, 1865, copies from the "Cornish Telegraph" the narrative of a then -recent dream of a young clergyman of the county of Cornwall, which was -almost immediately followed by the accidental death of the dreamer:-- - -"On Wednesday last, the Rev. Stephen Barclay Drury, an unmarried -clergyman of twenty-six, who has for about twelve months acted as the -curate of Phillack and Gwithian, had a conversation with the brother of -the Rector of those parishes,[127] Mr. Charles Hockin, and related a -dream, which he described as a very singular one, and as having made a -deep impression on him. - -"His words were: 'I dreamt I was to be buried, and I followed my coffin -into the church, and thence to the tomb. I took no part in the service, -and when we came to the tomb, I looked into it, and saw it was very nice. -I then asked the undertaker who was to be buried, and he answered, "You." -I then said, "I am not to be buried, I am not dead." The undertaker then -said, "I must be paid for the coffin," upon which I awoke.' - -"On Sunday morning and afternoon Mr. Drury officiated at Gwithian, and -after the second service remained with the children to practise singing. - -"Returning to his lodgings in Gwithian at half-past four, he waited a -little, took with him Thomas a Kempis' 'De Imitatione Christi,' and set -out for a walk, accompanied by a Newfoundland dog. He asked for a bit of -cord, as he might give the dog a dip, and started in his usually cheerful -and happy mood. In an hour and a half the dog returned with the cord -around his neck. - -"Mr. Drury was never again seen alive. His absence throughout the night -occasioned no surprise, as he sometimes went to, and slept at Copperhouse, -two miles off. - -"On Monday morning a Gwinear miner, in quest of seaweed at low water, near -the rocky shore of Godrevy, saw Mr. Drury's body in a pool seventy or -eighty yards from the sea. - -"An inquest, under the county coroner, Mr. John Roscoria, was held on -Tuesday at Gwithian, when these circumstances were elicited, and a verdict -was returned of 'Found Drowned.' - -"From the facts, however, that Mr. Drury had never shown the least signs -of depression, that he started with the expressed intention of giving the -dog a dip, and that he was very near-sighted, the general inference is -that the unfortunate gentleman slipped on the rocks, was stunned, fell -into the water, and so casually and singularly fulfilled his strange dream -of a few days previously." - -A somewhat similar prognostication was had in the case of Captain Speer, -which may properly be put on record, for, as in the case already narrated, -it turned out to be a true warning of impending death: - -Captain Speer, an officer of the 3rd Surrey Militia, and a magistrate for -the county of Surrey,[128] lately met his death under remarkable -circumstances. The "Quebec Mercury" says:--"Captain W. D. Speer passed the -last winter among us. During part of it, he had some fine sport on the -north shore of the S. Lawrence, in company with Captain Knox and -Lieutenant Duthie, of the 10th Royal Artillery. This spring he made a tour -through the States and West Indies, with Major Leslie, R.A., returning -only for a few days, to set out again on what has, alas! proved to be his -last expedition.[129] Strange to say, he stated to several gentlemen, just -before setting out, that he had had a dream in which he distinctly saw a -coffin with the name of 'W. D. Speer, died June 17th, 1867,' on it; and in -writing to a lady three weeks previously,[130] he said in a joke that one -reason for addressing her was his own approaching end. The date of his -death is not known,[131] but it must have been on the day he named, or -very near it. It appears that he was going to his cabin on board the -Mississippi steamer, which was at anchor, and somewhere in the -neighbourhood of the Indian disturbances; when in the middle of the night -he was shot dead by a sentry, who omitted to challenge him." - -On this remarkable incident a Letter was written, from which the following -extract may fittingly be put on record here: - -"It seems the account of the dream was true, as Major Terry told Mr. -Kempson, that he had heard the letter read in which he [Captain Speer] -related the circumstance. Singular, was it not? I trust it may have taken -some little effect on his mind, but I fear he was not one to attach any -importance to such a warning. However, I do hope he did, for it is so -awful to think of anyone in pure health and spirits being ushered into -Eternity without one moment's preparation." From a Letter, dated August -10th, 1867, signed "Anne M. Kempson, Richmond Hill, Surrey, S.W." - -Another example of a warning given in a dream (but neglected) may now be -put on record: - -A few years ago a serious accident occurred in the village of Bulmer, in -Yorkshire, to a pic-nic party going to Castle Howard. The party made the -journey in an omnibus, and it seems that the wife of one of the men -hesitated to join the others, and tried to persuade her husband not to go, -because she asserted that she had dreamt a week before that they were in -an omnibus, and were upset on going through a village and greatly injured, -the fright awakening her. The man and his wife however did go; but on -reaching Bulmer, the woman became greatly excited. Not only, she remarked, -was the omnibus that which she had seen in her dream, but the village was -the one in which the accident she dreamt of appeared to happen. The words -were scarcely uttered when the omnibus was upset and a scene of great -confusion resulted. Those on the outside were thrown to the ground with -great violence; one man was rendered insensible by the omnibus falling -upon him, and several sustained rather serious injuries. The woman to whom -the accident was revealed beforehand, was herself badly hurt; but her -husband's was the worst case, he sustaining a dislocation of an ankle. -Medical aid was quickly procured, the sufferers were relieved, and -afterwards conveyed to their homes. Every incident of the accident seems -to have been pictured in the premonitory dream. - -A remarkable presentiment by means of a dream is related in the second -section of the first volume of the "Museum of Wonders," and is to the -following effect. Though not new, it is so exceptionally curious as to be -quite worthy of reproduction here:-- - -"A short time before the Princess Natgotsky, of Warsaw, travelled to -Paris, she had the following dream:--She dreamed that she found herself in -an unknown apartment, when a man who was likewise unknown to her, came to -her with a cup, and presented it to her to drink out of. She replied that -she was not thirsty, and thanked him for his offer. The unknown individual -repeated his request, and added that she ought not to refuse it any -longer, for it would be the last she would ever drink in her life. At this -she was greatly terrified and awoke. - -"In October, 1720, the Princess arrived at Paris, in good health and -spirits; and occupied a furnished hotel, where soon after her arrival she -was seized with a violent fever. She immediately sent for the King's -celebrated physician, the father of Helvetius. The physician came, and the -Princess showed striking marks of astonishment. She was asked the reason -of it, and gave for answer that the physician perfectly resembled the man -whom she had seen at Warsaw in a dream; but added she, 'I shall not die -this time, for this is not the same apartment which I saw on that occasion -in my dream.' - -"The Princess was soon after completely restored, and appeared to have -altogether forgotten her dream, when a new incident reminded her of it in -a most forcible manner. She was dissatisfied with her lodgings at the -hotel, and therefore requested that a dwelling might be prepared for her -in a convent at Paris, which was accordingly done. The Princess removed to -the convent, but scarcely had she entered the apartment destined for her, -than she began to exclaim aloud: 'It is all over with me; I shall not come -out of this room again alive, for it is the same that I saw at Warsaw in -my dream!' She died in reality not long afterward in the same room, in -the beginning of the year 1721, of an ulcer in the throat, occasioned by -the drawing of a tooth." - -"This dream," observes Jung Stilling, from whose work the account of it is -transcribed, "proceeded from a good angel, who wished to attract the -attention of the Princess to her approaching end." - -A dignitary of the Church of England, of rank and reputation, courteously -furnishes the Editor with the following remarkable Dream, which occurred -to himself,--alas! so completely fulfilled. Another account of the same, -almost identical in terms, was sent to him from another quarter. But he -prefers putting on record the former:[132]-- - -"My brother had left London for the country to preach and speak on behalf -of a certain Church Society, to which he was officially attached. He was -in his usual health, and I was therefore in no special anxiety about him. -One night my wife woke me, finding that I was sobbing in my sleep, and -asked me what it was. I said, 'I have been to a strange place in my dream. -It was a small village, and I went up to the door of an inn, if so it -might be called, though it really was a decent public-house. A stout woman -came to the door. I said to her, 'Is my brother here?' She said, 'No, -sir, he is gone.' 'Is his wife here?' I went on to enquire. 'No, sir, but -his widow is.' Then the distressing thought rushed upon me that my brother -was dead: and I awoke sobbing. - -"A few days after, I was summoned suddenly into the country. My brother -returning from Huntingdon had been attacked with _angina pectoris_; and -the pain was so intense that they left him at Caxton (a small village in -the diocese of Ely), to which place on the following day he summoned his -wife: and the next day, while they were seated together, she heard a sigh -and he was gone. - -"When I reached Caxton, _it was the very same village to which I had gone -in my dream. I went to the same house, was met and let in by the same -woman; and found my brother dead, and his_ widow _there._" - -One of the most striking and well-authenticated cases of a Warning given -in a Dream and acted upon, by which a grave temporal danger was actually -averted, remains to be put on record now. The case is related with great -simplicity by one who has carefully investigated the circumstances of both -the dreams; and nothing is required on the Editor's part, either to -enlarge on any detail of it or to point its moral:-- - -"Knowing as I do intimately," writes the correspondent in question, "the -Widow of an Irish clergyman who was warned by a dream of the railway -accident which took place a few years ago at Abergele, in North Wales, I -give you gladly the following particulars:-- - -"About a fortnight before the accident occurred, my friend, the lady in -question, had a dream in which her husband, who had been dead for three -years, appeared to her, as she thought. This occurred on the night which -followed the day on which she had settled and arranged with some friends -to make a journey by railway. She dreamed that her husband was still -living, and that she and he were walking on the sea-shore of North Wales, -close to which the railway to Holyhead passes, when they came to a -tunnel,[133] from which, all of a sudden, volumes of the blackest smoke -were pouring out, and which became so dense that the sky was quite -overcast. Alarmed at this, they hastily went forward together towards its -mouth, when it seemed to be all on fire; the crackling and roar of which -was quite unusual. In a moment or two the sounds of frantic cries of men -and women wildly shrieking seemed to come from out of the mouth of the -tunnel; and then, as if to add to the horror of what had already appeared, -another train, full of people and at express speed, came up and dashed -through smoke and flame into the tunnel itself. Upon this the lady awoke, -and so deep an impression had the dream made (for it unhinged her for some -days), that she resolved to postpone her journey, which she did. Had she -gone at the time appointed and arranged, she and her friends would have -travelled by the very train--the passengers of which were burnt by the -explosion of petroleum. - -"The most curious part of this interesting record has yet to be told. On -the same night upon which this lady had this dream-warning, her own -daughter, a child of nine years of age, who was staying with some -relations nearly sixty miles from home, had likewise a dream, in which she -thought she saw two trains meeting each other on one line of railway, in -one of which her mother was seated, and in the other one of her mother's -friends (who was to have travelled with her). The trains seemed to be -going at a great rate, and when the collision actually took place, the -child at once awoke. On the following morning she recounted her dream to -her relations: but at the time they took no notice of it, though it formed -the subject of a general conversation regarding dreams. It was only when -(as was afterwards discovered) her mother had possibly escaped the -frightful disaster of a railway accident, and probably a very painful -death, that the fact of her child having had the dream on the night of her -own warning and mentioned it, was specially remarked and noted down." - -A prognostication, or rather a personal Presentiment of impending death, -and that death the result of an accident, will fittingly be recorded -here:-- - -At the village of Bloxwich, in the diocese of Lichfield, a miner resided, -well known to the person who communicated the following occurrence to the -Editor of this volume:--"One morning in 1872, on his way to the pit's -mouth, the miner had a strong presentiment that he should be killed at his -work. He returned home, communicated his impressions to his wife (who -expostulated with him for being so fanciful and superstitious), and then -insisted on seeing all his children. They were assembled. He took down his -Prayer Book and Bible, read a chapter from the latter, and afterwards said -some of his accustomed prayers. Then affectionately greeting wife and -children, he went to his work, with the same strange but vivid -presentiment of approaching death upon him; as his wife so clearly -testifies. He had not been at work many minutes when he was suddenly -crushed to death by the fall of a rock." - -These facts are duly authenticated by persons who obtained the account -from the man's widow on the day of his burial, and have supplied them -directly to the Editor. - -The following cases, equally remarkable, are taken from the "Standard" -newspaper:-- - -"Sir,--I beg to acquaint you of a very singular event which occurred here -yesterday. On Saturday night a villager named Andrew Scott dreamed of -being along the coast on S. Cyrus' Sands, and finding a man among the -rocks under Whitson Houses. On Sabbath morning after breakfast he cleaned -himself, and told his wife he would go and see if there was anything in -his dream, taking another man with him to whom he made known his errand; -and on arriving at the spot where he expected to find the man, sure enough -there was the drowned man, washing amongst the rocks, just as seen in his -dream. He was taken ashore, reported to the S. Cyrus' authorities, and -to-day he is to be interred. He is supposed to be one of the men belonging -to the 'Providence,' wrecked on Dec. 19. I have the honour to be, sir, -your most obedient servant, - - "Daniel Hamilton. - -"Johnshaven, Kincardineshire, Jan. 20." - -"At an inquest held on Monday afternoon at James Bridge, near -Wolverhampton, on the body of a collier named Samuel Tinley, who had been -killed in a pit there by a fall of rock strata, it transpired that during -the previous night he awoke, saying he had a ton of rock on his head, -though he had no headache. He was convinced it boded ill, and was -reluctant to go to work. Upon being urged to go by his wife, he went to -his child and saying, 'Let me have my last kiss,' went to the pit and was -killed. It was further shown that a cousin of his, who is a close friend, -was returning home from working a night-shift, when he said he saw the -deceased standing before him in the road. Instead of going home to bed he -went to the deceased's house, to which place the news of the death had -just been brought, but altogether unknown to the cousin.[134] At the -inquest a yet more remarkable case, that had come before the same coroner -in the same locality, was mentioned." - -So much as to examples and records of extraordinary Dreams, Warnings by -Visions, and Presentiments. The subject of Omens may now be briefly -touched upon. An "omen" has been defined to be "a token or sign of good or -ill;" "a boding or foreboding;" "a prognostic." Some of the following are -of such a character as that they are very suitably considered both in -connection with events already described and with those yet to be -narrated. - -It has been forcibly and appropriately remarked, though not perhaps in any -marked or specific Christian spirit, that Omens constitute the poetry of -history. They cause the series of events which they are supposed to -declare to flow into epical unity, and the political catastrophe seems to -be produced, not by prudence or by folly, but by the superintending -destiny. - -The case of the Tichborne Prophecy, in connection with the well-known -ancient Dole of that family, is so curious (having been in part recently -fulfilled), that it may not only be set forth in detail, but may -reasonably find a place at this particular part of this book. For the -following version the Editor is indebted to a near connection of the -family:-- - -"The Tichbornes date their possession of the present patrimony, the manor -of Tichborne, so far back as two hundred years before the Conquest. When -the Lady Mabella,[135] worn out with age and infirmity, was lying on her -deathbed, she besought her loving husband, Sir Roger Tichborne, as her -last request, that he would grant her the means of leaving behind her a -charitable bequest, in a Dole of Bread to be distributed to all who should -apply for it annually on the Feast of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin -Mary. Sir Roger, her husband, readily acceded to her request by promising -the produce of as much land as she could go over in the vicinity of the -Park while a certain brand or billet was burning, supposing that, from her -long infirmity (for she had been bedridden some years), she would be able -to go round a small portion only of his property. The venerable dame, -however, ordered her attendants to convey her to the corner of the Park, -where, being deposited on the ground, she seemed to regain a renovation of -strength; and to the surprise of her anxious and admiring lord, who began -to wonder where this pilgrimage might end, she crawled round several rich -and goodly acres. - -"The field which was the scene of Lady Mabella's extraordinary feat -retains the name of 'The Crawls' to this day. It is situated near the -entrance to the Park, and contains an area of twenty-three acres. - -"Her task being completed, she was re-conveyed to her chamber; and, -summoning her family to her bedside, predicted its prosperity while the -annual Dole existed, and left her solemn Curse, uttered in God's most Holy -Name, on any of her descendants who should be so mean or covetous as to -discontinue or divert it, _prophesying that when such should happen the -old house should fall, and the family name would become extinct from the -failure of heirs male; and that this would be foretold by a generation of -seven sons being followed immediately after by a generation of seven -daughters and no son_. - -"The custom thus founded in the reign of Henry II. continued to be -observed for centuries; and our Lady's Day, the 25th of March, became the -annual festive-day of the family. It was not until the middle of the last -century that the custom was abused; when, under the pretence of attending -the Tichborne Dole, vagabonds, gipsies, and idlers of every description, -assembled from all quarters, pilfering throughout the neighbourhood; and, -at last, the gentry and magistrates complaining, it was discontinued in -1796. Singularly enough, the baronet of that day, Sir Henry -Tichborne,[136] had seven sons, and, when he was succeeded by the eldest, -there appeared a generation of seven daughters, while the apparent -fulfilment of the prophecy was completed by the change of the name of the -late baronet to Doughty, under the will of his kinswoman. (This allusion -is to Sir Edward Doughty, ninth baronet, who inherited the 'Doughty' -estate, then Mr. Edward Tichborne.)" - -Here is the record of a weird and obvious Omen:-- - -"The Duke of Somerset, the great sacrilegious nobleman of Henry VIII.'s -reign, who worked such mischief and perpetrated such robberies on God's -poor, is said to have been more than once warned of his coming death upon -the scaffold, by the appearance of a Bloody Hand stretched out from the -panelled wall of the corridor of his mansion; and it is also reported that -the Hand was visible to his duchess as well as to himself." - -And here is the narrative of a remarkable Dream, as well as of a singular -coincidence:-- - -"Sir Thomas White, Alderman of London, was a very rich man, charitable and -public-spirited. He dreamed that he had founded a college at a place where -three elms grew out of one root. He went to Oxford probably with that -intention; and discovering some such tree near Gloucester Hall, he began -to repair the building of that community, with a design to endow it. But -walking afterwards by the convent where the Bernardines formerly lived, he -plainly saw an elm tree with three large bodies rising out of the same -root; he forthwith purchased the ground, and endowed his college there, as -it is at this day; except the additions which Archbishop Laud made near -the outside of the building, in the garden belonging to the President. The -tree is still to be seen. He made this discovery about the year 1557." - -The numerous tokens of the death of Henry IV. of France, who reigned from -1589 until 1610, are finely tragical. Mary of Medicis, in her well-known -dream, saw the brilliant gems of her crown change into pearls--the -recognized symbols of tears and mourning. An owl is said to have hooted -until sunrise at the window of the chamber to which the King and Queen -retired at S. Denis on the night preceding her coronation. During the -ceremony, it was observed with dread, that the dark portals leading to the -royal sepulchre beneath the choir, were gaping and expanded. The flame of -the sacred taper held by Her Majesty was suddenly extinguished, and it is -said that her crown twice nearly fell to the ground. - -An anecdote, which was current during the reign of King Charles I., and -has the support both of Archbishop Laud and Lord Clarendon, is said to -have thrown a sad gloom over the spirits of the royal friends, already -saddened by the fearful pestilence which inaugurated his reign. At the -coronation it was found that there was not in the whole of London, nor -indeed in the whole of England, sufficient purple velvet with which to -make the customary royal robes and the corresponding furniture of the -chair of state and throne. What was to be done? Rigid custom, coming down -no doubt for long generations, possibly from the time of S. Edward, -required that old traditions should be scrupulously observed and carefully -followed. What was needed could not in all probability be had nearer than -Genoa. To obtain it would have caused a delay of several months: and it -was agreed that the solemn anointing and coronation could not be properly -postponed. So it was resolved to robe His Majesty in _white_ velvet, from -which he was known afterwards as "the White King." But this was the colour -in which victims were arrayed. So many persons maintained that the Council -which had sanctioned such an innovation had unwittingly, perhaps, but -efficiently established an agency of evil; and many more after the King's -martyrdom recalled the ominous change. - -Another Warning, or supposed Warning, of approaching evil vouchsafed to -the King was equally striking and peculiar. It happened a short time -before the disastrous Battle of Newbury, and is thus recorded:-- - -The King being at Oxford, went one day to see the Public Library, where he -was shown amongst other books, a Virgil, nobly printed and exquisitely -bound. The Lord Falkland, to divert the King, would have his Majesty make -a trial of his fortune by the _Sortes Virgilianae_, which everybody knows -was not an unusual kind of augury some ages past. Whereupon the King -opening the book, the period which happened to come up was part of Dido's -imprecation against AEneas, which Mr. Dryden translated thus:-- - - "Yet let a race untamed, and haughty foes, - His peaceful entrance with dire arms oppose; - Oppress'd with numbers in th' unequal field, - His men discouraged and himself expelled, - Let him for succour sue from place to place, - Torn from his subjects and his son's embrace; - First let him see his friends in battle slain, - And then untimely fate lament in vain; - And when at length the cruel war shall cease, - On hard conditions may he buy his peace; - Nor let him then enjoy supreme command, - But fall untimely by some hostile hand, - And lie unburied on the barren sand." - "AEneid," Book iv. 88. - -It is said that King Charles seemed concerned at this accident, and that -Lord Falkland observing it, would likewise try his fortune in the same -manner, hoping he might fall upon some passage that could have no relation -to his case, and thereby divert the King's thoughts from any impression -the other might have upon him. But the place that Falkland stumbled upon -was yet more suited to his destiny than the other had been to the King's; -being the following expressions of Evander upon the untimely death of his -son Pallas, as they are translated by the same hand:-- - - "O Pallas! thou hast fail'd thy plighted word, - To fight with caution, not to tempt the sword; - I warn'd thee but in vain; for well I knew - What perils youthful ardour would pursue, - That boiling blood would carry thee too far, - Young as thou wert in dangers--raw in war! - O cursed essay in arms--disastrous doom, - Prelude of bloody fields and fights to come." - "AEneid," Book xi. 230. - -Again, as regards the King's bust, the following record was current and -commonly discussed:-- - -"Vandyke, having painted the King's head, in three different attitudes, a -profile, a three-quarters, and a full face, the picture was sent to Rome -for Bernini, the celebrated sculptor, to make a bust from it. This artist, -being exceedingly dilatory over his work, and having had complaints made -to him on the subject, said that there was something so unusually sad and -melancholy in the royal features, that if any stress might be laid on -physiognomy, he was sure that the person whom the picture represented was -destined for a violent end. When the bust arrived in England, the King -being anxious to see it, it was taken immediately to Chelsea and placed on -a table in the garden, whither the King, attended by many, went to -inspect it. While so doing a hawk, with a wounded and bleeding partridge -in its talons, flew over the King's head, and some of the blood fell upon -the marble neck of the bust, where it remained without being wiped off. -The omen is said to have been marked by many." - -On the day of the King's burial, when the coffin was borne to S. George's -Chapel, Windsor, by tried and trusted subjects and servants, it was -carried through a severe snow-storm, and the purple pall was covered with -the whitest snow, thus adding a fresh reason for the title by which His -Majesty had been known. - -There were also some remarkable Warnings in the life of the great -Archbishop Laud, some of which were noted down in his "Diary." For -example, he was elected Head of S. John's College, Oxford, on the Feast of -the Beheading of S. John the Baptist; and of course, when he as Head of -that college perished by a similar death, this more than remarkable -coincidence was noticed and remembered. Another likewise is certainly -curious. Not long before his martyrdom, on entering his study one day, he -is said to have found his own portrait, by Vandyke, at full length on the -floor, the cord which fastened it to the wall having snapped. The sight of -this warning, as it was regarded, is said not only to have deeply -impressed that great man, whose obvious belief in the Supernatural was -considerable; but also to have brought back to his memory the fact of a -great disaster which occurred to one of his barges, on the very day of his -translation to the See of Canterbury, which boat sank with his coaches and -horses into the Thames. - -There was an Omen attached to the ancient Ferrers family, of Chartley Park -in Staffordshire. The large possessions of this family were forfeited by -the attainder of Earl Ferrers, after his defeat at Burton Bridge, where he -led the rebellious barons against Henry III. The Chartley estate having -been settled in dower was alone reserved and handed down. In the Park is -said to be preserved an indigenous Staffordshire cow, small in stature, of -sand-white colour, with black ears, muzzle, and tips at the hoofs. In the -year of the Battle of Burton Bridge a black calf was born; the downfall of -the house of Ferrers happening at the same period gave rise to the -tradition, which to this day is said to be commonly current through -observation of past events, viz., that the birth of a parti-coloured calf -from the wild herd in Chartley Park is a sure omen of death within the -same year to a member of Lord Ferrers' family. By a noticeable coincidence -a calf of this description has been born whenever a death has happened of -late years in this noble family.[137] The decease of the late Earl and -Countess, of his son Lord Tamworth, and of his daughter, Mrs. William -Joliffe, as well as the deaths of the son and heir of the present -nobleman, and his daughter, Lady Frances Shirley, has each been preceded -by the birth of an ominous calf. In the spring of the year 1835 an animal -perfectly black was calved by one of this weird tribe; and it was soon -followed by the death of the amiable Countess. - -The Omen connected with the ancient gentle family of Oxenham, co. -Devon,[138] may now be suitably referred to. The following, describing it, -is copied from a rare and ancient pamphlet:[139]--"In the parish called -Sale Monachorum, in the county of Devon, there lives one James Oxenham, a -gentleman of good worth and quality, who had many children, one whereof -was called John Oxenham, a young man in the vigour, beauty, and flower of -his age, about 22, who was of stature comely and tall, being in height of -body sixe foote and a half, a very proper person.... This young gentleman -fell sicke, who being visited by many of the neighbours during the time of -his sickness, departed this transitory life on the 5th day of September -1635, to whom, two days before he yielded up his soul to God, there -appeared the likeness of a Bird with a white breast hovering over him." -The pamphlet in question states that the White Bird also appeared -previously to the deaths of Thomasine, Rebecca and Thomasine the -younger,[140] facts formally testified to, on the oaths of divers -eyewitnesses before the Lord Bishop of Exeter (Dr. Joseph Hall). - -In Howell's "Familiar Letters," a communication dated "July 3, 1632," -states that the writer saw, at a stonecutter's shop in London, a marble -monument commemorating several examples of this curious omen; and gives -the following as the inscriptions:-- - -"Here lies John Oxenham, a goodly young man, in whose chamber as he was -struggling with the pangs of death, a Bird with a White Breast was seen -fluttering about his bed, and so vanished. - -"Here lies also Mary Oxenham, the sister of the said John, who died the -next day, and the same apparition was seen in the room. - -"Here lies hard by, James Oxenham, the son of the said John, who dyed a -child in his cradle a little after, and such a Bird was seen fluttering -about his head a little before he expir'd, which vanish'd afterwards." - -At the bottom of the stone there is:-- - -"Here lies Elizabeth Oxenham, the mother of the said John, who died -sixteen years since, when such a bird with a white breast was seen about -her bed before her death."[141] - -Then come the following remarks:-- - -"To all these there be divers witnesses both squires and ladies, whose -names are engraven upon the stone. This stone is to be sent to a town hard -by Exeter where this happen'd. Were you here, I could raise a choice -discours with you hereupon. So hoping to see you the next tirm, I rest, -etc." - -From an old MS. letter of the eighteenth century, written on the fly-leaf -of a copy of Howell's book already referred to, it seems that the -appearance of the omen was regarded as a fact at that period. The Letter -dated "December 29th, 1741," contains the following statement:-- - -"I have received an answer from the country in relation to the strange -Bird which appeared to Mr. Oxenham just before his death, and the account -which Dr. Bertie gave to Lord Abingdon of it, is certainly true. It first -was seen outside the window, and soon afterwards by Mrs. Oxenham in the -room, which she mentioned to Mr. Oxenham, and asked him if he knew what -bird it was. 'Yes,' says he, 'it has been on my face and head, and is -recorded in history as always appearing to our family before their deaths; -but I shall cheat the Bird.' Nothing more was said about it, nor was the -Bird taken notice of from that time: but he died soon afterwards. However -odd this affair may seem, it is certainly true; for the account was given -of it by Mrs. Oxenham herself: but she never mentions it to anyone unless -particularly asked about it; and as it was seen by several persons at the -same time, I cannot attribute it to imagination, but must leave it as a -phenomenon unaccounted for." - -My friend, the Rev. H. N. Oxenham, of this family, writes to me A.D. -October, 1874, as follows: - -"The tradition about the White Bird has certainly existed for so long a -time--I believe for centuries--in our family, that I have every reason to -believe there are well-authenticated accounts of its appearance before the -death of the head of the family; and that certainly a white Bird was seen -at the window a few days before my late uncle's death (who was the head of -the family) last Christmas" [_i.e._ in 1873]. - -Here a singular account of the possession of a charm, or amulet, and of a -Curse connected with it, may be fittingly set forth:-- - -"The family of Graham of Inchbrachie, county Perth, are said to possess a -small blue, uncut stone, set in an antique ring, of which the following -story is told. Some two centuries ago, as the Head of the Family was -passing by a hill near or at Crieff, he discovered a large crowd, presided -over by one of the Campbells of ----, preparing to execute a witch. On -approaching the crowd, he found that the unhappy victim (who had for some -years lived in a rocky cave, still known by her name), was none other than -his old nurse, Katherine Nivens. Charged with witchcraft, she had been -condemned and was about to be executed. Graham, addressing the mob, urged -them to prevent Campbell from carrying out his purpose. In acknowledgment -of his generous help on her behalf, the poor creature threw him a small -blue stone like a bead, which she had kept in her mouth, and desired him -to keep it for her sake; adding that as long as it was preserved in his -family good fortune should ever attend them; while to the Campbells of ----- (whom she solemnly cursed), she predicted that there never should be -born an heir male, and cited him to appear before God's judgment-bar, -where justice should be done.[142] The strange feature in the story is -that (as a correspondent avers) _both promise and prediction have turned -out to be true_. The stone is said to be an uncut sapphire. Other Scotch -families possess similar amulets or charms: amongst these the -Macdonald-Lockharts of Lee in the county of Lanark. - -The sound of the Beating of a Drum is said to betoken death to a noble -Scotch family--one which has been a staunch, good old loyalist clan for -centuries, and suffered sorely for having been "leal and true" to their -Royal House and their own consciences. Some years ago the then head of it -was paying a visit in England, when, one day, sitting outside in the -garden with the lady of the house, his lordship exclaimed suddenly, -"Listen! here comes a band of music." - -"Music!" she replied, "oh, impossible." - -"Oh, don't you hear it? it is coming this way." - -"No, I hear nothing." - -"Listen!" he retorted; "don't you hear the Drum?" - -She assured him that there was nothing, that it was a fancy, and that no -band of music could come near enough to the house to be heard, on account -of the unusual extent of the grounds and park. - -On this the nobleman turned pale, and becoming much agitated, remarked -that he felt sure it must be the sound of the family "Drum,"--an omen that -always preceded death, and feared that something had happened to one of -his relations. - -The next post brought him the sad and melancholy news of his wife's -unlooked-for death, through giving birth prematurely to a child. - -The origin of this omen, as far as the Editor can discover, appears to be -unknown. - -In another family of rank a female figure, dressed in brown clothes, -appears as a warning of death. To the members of an old knightly family in -the West of England there always comes, before the death of its chief, the -sound of a heavy carriage with many horses driven round the paved -courtyard of the Elizabethan mansion. - -It is equally notorious that in a certain noble English family, the form -of a spectral head appears as a sign of death to any member of it, and -invariably so, when the chief of it dies,--a fact which the Editor has -been assured of in writing (A.D. 1872) from a member of a junior branch of -the same. - -To another family, living in the East of England (of the rank of gentle -people), appears an Omen, equally, if not more disagreeable. The -appearance of a spectral Black Dog is also a portent of death. About -twenty years ago, A.D. 1853, the then head of the family married, and -though he himself (by no means superstitious) could not reject the -tradition of the unpleasant omen, having heard so much about it on its -previous appearance, he said nothing to his wife. Some years afterwards, -in 1861, their eldest child was taken ill. The illness, however, (as the -physician asserted,) was slight, and not at all likely to prove dangerous; -so little, in truth, was this anticipated that there were several persons -staying in the house at the time. Just before dinner was announced one -evening, the wife of the head of the family asked to be excused for a -moment or two, while she looked into the night nursery to see how the sick -child was. She went, but returned almost immediately, saying, "Darling ----- is fast asleep; but there's a large black dog lying under the bed; go -and drive it out." The father, at once calling to mind the omen, was -sorely terrified. He went at once to the sick room. Neither under nor near -the bed, nor (as was afterwards discovered) on the premises, was there, or -had there been, any dog, but the poor child's sleep was found to be the -sleep of death. - -To revert to Omens in general. There is a widely-spread and singular -prejudice, (which with many is deeply rooted,) that if thirteen people sit -down to dinner one of them, at least, shall die within a year.[143] It -seems to have originated from the fact of Judas having been the thirteenth -at the Paschal Feast, when our Lord instituted the Holy Sacrament. - -Again, Friday has from time immemorial been considered an unlucky -day;[144] because the Crucifixion of our Blessed Saviour took place on -that day--a day of fear and trembling, of darkness and of earthquakes--a -day of awe, when even some of the Pagan oracles were silent, and -indications of the decay and weakening of their powers were by their -impotence made manifest. Plutarch in his book on the "Cessation of -Oracles," makes mention of the voice which, near Paxos, the pilot of a -vessel heard in the spring of the nineteenth year of the Emperor Tiberius, -crying out, "Great Pan is dead." Now we know that in the spring of that -year, and possibly on the afternoon of that very day, our Divine Lord -overcame death by dying, conquered Satan, and opened the gates of -everlasting life to mankind. Can we be surprised that after that victory -on the first Good Friday, the power of the Evil One was largely and surely -curbed? - -Second Sight, indications of the existence of which have already been -given, appears to be a power or property of seeing beforehand events which -are still in the future, and such sight claimed by several[145] is said -to belong to many persons in Scotland. In a "Description of the Western -Isles," a popular writer of the last century somewhat amplified the -definition. He maintained as follows: "The Second Sight is a singular -faculty of seeing an otherwise invisible object, without any previous -means used by the person that sees it for that end; the vision makes such -a lively impression upon the seers, that they neither see nor think of -anything else, except the vision, as long as it continues; and then they -appear pensive or jovial, according to the object which was represented to -them." He further points out generally that when persons gifted with -Second Sight "actually behold something unusual, the eyelids of the person -are erected, and the eyes continue staring until the object vanish." In -the case of a certain person in the Island of Skye, "when he sees a -vision, the inner part of his eyelids turns so far upwards, that after the -object disappears, he must draw them down again with his fingers." The -same writer maintains that the property of Second Sight does not -necessarily descend in a family, as some persons hold and assert. "I know -several parents," he writes, "who are endowed with it, but their children -not, and _vice versa_; neither is it acquired by any previous compact. -And, after a strict inquiry, I could never learn from any among them that -this faculty was communicable any way whatsoever." - -Several volumes have been written on the subject, and examples almost -without number provided. - -In John Aubrey's "Miscellanies"[146] is recorded a remarkable escape from -death of Dr. William Harvey, the celebrated discoverer of the circulation -of the blood through Second Sight:--"When Dr. Harvey, one of the -Physicians' College in London, being a young man (in 1695), went to travel -towards Padua, he went to Dover with several others, and showed his pass -as the rest to the Governor there. The Governor told him that he must not -go, but he must keep him prisoner. The Doctor desired to know 'for what -reason? how he had transgressed?' 'Well, it was his will to have it so.' -The pacquet boat hoisted sail in the evening, which was very clear, and -the doctor's companions in it. There ensued a terrible storm, and the -pacquet boat and all the passengers were drowned. The next day the sad -news was brought to Dover. The Doctor was unknown to the Governor both by -name and face; but the night before the Governor had a perfect vision of -Dr. Harvey in a dream, who came to pass over to Calais, and that he had a -warning to stop him. This the Governor told the Doctor the next day. The -Doctor was a pious, good man, and has several times directed this story to -some of my acquaintance." - -The following, from a rare and curious volume of the last century,[147] -containing nearly two hundred cases, authenticated mainly by ministers of -the Scotch Establishment, is a good example:-- - -"Alexander Macdonald, of Kingsborough (when living in the possession of -Aird, in the remote end of Trotternish), dreamed that he saw a reverend -old man come to him, desiring him to get out of bed, and get his servants -together, and make haste to save his fields of corn, as his whole cattle, -and his tenants' cattle also, had got out of the fold, and were in the -middle of a large field behind the house. He awaked and told his wife, -with whom he consulted whether he would rise or not; and she telling him -it was but a dream, and not worth noticing, advised him to lie still, -which he obeyed; but no sooner fell asleep, than the former old man -appeared to him, and seemed angry, by telling Mr. Macdonald (then of -Aird), he the old man was very idle, in acquainting him of the loss he -would or had by this time sustained by his cattle, and seemed not to heed -what he said, and so went off. Mr. Macdonald awaking the second time, told -his wife, but she would not allow him, and ridiculed him for noticing the -folly of a confused dream; so that, after attempting to get up, he was, at -his wife's persuasion, prevailed upon to lie down again; and falling -asleep, it being now near break of day, the old gentleman appeared to him -a third time, with a frowning countenance, and told him he might now lie -still, for that the cattle were now surfeited of his corn, and were lying -in it; and that it was for his welfare that he came to acquaint him so -often, as he was his grand-uncle by his father; and so went off. He -awaking in about an hour thereafter, arose and went out, and actually -found his own and his tenants' cattle lying in his corn, after being tired -of eating thereof; which corn, when comprised, the loss amounted to eight -bolls of meal." - -Two quite recent cases of Second Sight are here given, and are each -somewhat remarkable. Both have been furnished to the Editor by those who -knew the cases, and the accuracy of each has been vouched for by trusty -and courteous correspondents. - -The first has reference to the murder of a policeman at Cardiff:--"An -inquest was formally opened on the body of William Perry, a constable of -the Cardiff police force, who was fatally stabbed on Tuesday by a butcher, -named Jones. The medical evidence went to show that the murderer was in a -very excited state at the time, but was neither insane nor suffering from -_delirium tremens_. The further hearing was adjourned. The 'Western Mail' -says:--The deceased man Perry was a well-known and very efficient officer. -He joined the borough police force on the 5th of July, 1865, and from that -time had always conducted himself in a praiseworthy manner, having -attained to the position of a first-class constable some time ago. -Previous to 1865 he was employed in the Merthyr division of the county -police. He was 36 years of age. The superstitious will probably feel -interested in the following story, which our reporter heard last night -from the lips of the widow herself. Strange as it may seem, it is no less -strange than true; and mournful as the circumstance is in itself, those -who believe in the efficacy of dreams as prognosticators of future events, -will perhaps derive some gratification from it. On Sunday night Mrs. Perry -(who resides at Melrose-cottage, Heath-street, Canton), had a dream, which -but too faithfully predicted the sad tragedy of yesterday. In the midst of -her sleep she saw, to use her own words, a large crowd following her -husband down the Cowbridge-road, in the direction of the Westgate hotel, -where the murder was committed. She saw, in the horror of her dream, a -knife plunged into the breast of her husband, and drawn out again, -blood-stained and grimy, by some cruel but unknown hand. She saw, too, -the murdered form of her husband borne away, and little thought, when -brooding over her awful dream, that it was a 'dark presage,' and the -precursor of what was soon to be a terrible reality. The dream occasioned -her great uneasiness, but she mentioned it to no one until the dreadful -tidings of her husband's death reached her yesterday morning, when the -circumstance forced itself vividly upon her recollection." (A.D. 1873.) - -The second example is equally remarkable:--"A singular case of Second -Sight is reported from the neighbourhood of Marlborough. A labourer named -Duck, employed by Mr. Dixon, of Mildenhall Warren Farm, was in charge of a -horse and water-cart on the farm, when the animal took fright and knocked -him down. The wheel went over his chest, and the injuries he received were -such that his death occurred shortly afterwards. However, the singular -part of the story remains to be told. Duck resided at Ramsbury, and -immediately after the accident Mr. Dixon despatched a woman to acquaint -his wife of the fact. On arriving at her home the messenger found her out -gathering wood; but shortly afterwards a girl who was her companion -arrived, and, without being told of what had occurred, volunteered the -statement that 'Ria (Mrs. Duck) was unable to do much that morning, that -she had been very much frightened, having seen her husband in the wood. -Shortly afterwards Mrs. Duck returned, without any wood, and, being -informed by a neighbour that a woman from Mildenhall Woodlands wished to -see her, ejaculated immediately, 'My David's dead, then.' Inquiry has -since been made by Mr. Dixon of the woman, and she positively asserts that -she saw her husband in the wood, and said, 'Holloa, David, what wind blows -you here, then?' and that he made no reply. Mr. Dixon inquired what time -this occurred, and she replied about 10 o'clock, the hour at which the -fatal accident took place." (A.D. 1874.) - -Before this chapter is closed, the following account, which created the -deepest impression in the town and neighbourhood of Devizes, is embodied -in terms which plainly enough set forth its point and purpose. It is an -awful example of God's summary judgment, recorded by the local authorities -both as a memorial of the Supernatural and as a warning to all:-- - -"The Mayor and Corporation of Devizes avail themselves of the stability of -this building [the Market Cross,] to transmit to future times the record -of an awful event which occurred in the Market Place in the year 1753, -hoping that such record may serve as a salutary warning against the danger -of impiously invoking Divine vengeance, or of calling on the Holy Name of -God to conceal the devices of falsehood and fraud: - -"On Thursday, the 25th of January, 1753, Ruth Pierce, of Potterne in this -county, agreed with three other women to buy a sack of wheat in the -market, each paying her due proportion towards the same. One of these -women, in collecting the several quotas of money, discovered a deficiency, -and demanded of Ruth Pierce the sum which was wanting to make good the -amount. Ruth Pierce protested that she had paid her share, and said: _She -wished she might drop down dead if she had not._ She rashly repeated the -awful wish; when, to the consternation and terror of the surrounding -multitude, she instantly fell down and expired, having the money concealed -in her hand." - -The narrative of this solemn event was by order of the authorities -recorded on a tablet and hung up in the Market house (a row of sheds near -the Cross). When the building was taken down, Mr. Halcombe, who kept the -Bear Inn, in order that the remembrance might not be lost, caused it to be -inscribed on the pediment of a couple of pillars which stood opposite his -inn, supporting the sign of the Bear. - -The sign was removed in 1801, and a few years after Lord Sidmouth having -presented to the town the New Cross, which forms the central ornament of -the Market Place, the Mayor and Corporation "availed themselves," to use -their own language, "of the stability of the new structure to transmit to -future time a record of the awful death of Ruth Pierce in hope that it -might serve as a salutary warning against the practice of invoking the -Sacred Name to conceal the devices of falsehood and fraud." - -And now to conclude this portion of the subject. Each example already -recorded has, no doubt, told its own story sufficiently well. Some cases -may appear to certain minds to be as trivial as they certainly are, to -others, marvellous and inexplicable; other examples, again, cannot fail to -leave a deep impression on the reader, as well from the remarkable -character of the presentiments and dreams themselves, as from the -reasonable testimony by which their truth is supported by persons of -repute and credibility. The Editor has intentionally avoided the making of -comments, either prolix or the reverse, preferring to present to the -reader each recorded narrative, as received or obtained by himself, -without dissertations, theories, or explanations. - - -END OF VOL. I. - - CHISWICK PRESS:--PRINTED BY WHITTINGHAM AND WILKINS, - TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE. - - - - -GENERAL INDEX. - - - A Discerner of spirits, i. 81 - - Abimelech's dream, i. 210 - - Aerolites, i. 24 - - After-vision of a suicide, ii. 75 - - Alexander Macdonald's dream, i. 285 - - Amulet of the Grahams, i. 277 - - ---- of the Macdonald Lockharts, i. 278 - - Ann Thorne bewitched, i. 194 - - Apparition at Ballarat, ii. 61 - - ---- at time of death, ii. 59 - - ---- in the Jewel House, ii. 105 - - ---- near Cardiff, ii. 114 - - ---- of a college friend, ii. 71 - - ---- of a crow, ii. 131 - - ---- of a dying father, ii. 58 - - ---- of a dying lady to her children, ii. 64 - - ---- of a father to his son, ii. 58 - - ---- of a friend, ii. 60 - - ---- of a sister, ii. 59 - - ---- of a son to his mother and another, ii. 73 - - ---- of an officer, ii. 10 - - ---- of Dr. Ferrar's daughter, ii. 25 - - ---- of Philip Weld, ii. 51 - - ---- of Rev. W. Naylor, ii. 7 - - ---- of S. Stanislaus, ii. 51 - - ---- seven years after death, ii. 71 - - ---- to a gentleman, ii. 119 - - ---- to a lady and her child, ii. 113 - - ---- to a lady and her child, ii. 117 - - ---- to a sentry, and his death thereupon, ii. 108 - - ---- to Lord Brougham, ii. 68 - - ---- to Lord Chedworth, ii. 35 - - ---- to Mr. Andrews, ii. 41 - - Apparitions at Oxford, ii. 209 - - Arrowsmith, Trial of Rev. E., i. 91 - - Arrowsmith's Hand preserved, i. 95 - - Authentication of Lamb's cure, i. 96 - - - Barony of Chedworth, ii. 34 - - Belief in God universal, i. 5 - - Benediction, The principle of, i. 90 - - Beresford apparition, The, ii. 11 - - Bird, The Spectral, ii. 128 - - Bisham Abbey, Ghost at, ii. 91 - - Bishop Joseph Hall on temporal punishment, ii. 89 - - Bishop Ken's hymn, ii. 82 - - Blessing and cursing, Power of, i. 90. - - Bosworth's testimony, Mr. T., ii. 146 - - Bridget Bishop accused of witchcraft, i. 198 - - Bull of Pope Innocent VIII. against witchcraft, i. 162 - - - Captain William Dyke, ii. 22 - - Cardan, Jerome, i. 282 - - Case of Annie Milner, i. 169 - - ---- of Martha Brossier, i. 165 - - Catharine Campbell accused of witchcraft, i. 197 - - Catholic claim to exclusive use of exorcism, i. 163 - - Causation, The law of, i. 3 - - Chamber, John, on "Judiciall Astrologie," i. 200 - - Charles I., Omens concerning, i. 267, 271 - - Charles Ireland bewitched, i. 186 - - Chevalier's testimony concerning Spiritualism, Mr., ii. 180 - - "Christ is coming" quoted, ii. 136. - - Christian Shaw bewitched, i. 197 - - Christian writers on the Supernatural, i. 31 - - Christianity, Morse on the decline of, ii. 137 - - Citation, Remarkable case of, i. 90 - - Club, The Hell-Fire, ii. 207 - - Colgarth, The Philipsons of, i. 90 - - Collins's Sermon, Rev. H., i. 135 - - Cometism, The Trinity of, i. 19 - - Constantine victorious, i. 38 - - Creslow, Haunted chamber at, ii. 92 - - Criticism upon Mr. Congreve, i. 20 - - Crookes, Mr. W., on Spiritualism, ii. 159, 162, 164 - - Cross of Constantine, The, i. 35 - - ---- fire seen in France in 1826, A, i. 16 - - Cure, Miraculous, i. 95 - - ---- Miraculous, by the Blessed Sacrament, i. 121, 125 - - - Daimonomagia, i. 174 - - Dale-Owen, Mr., quoted, ii. 183, 185 - - Death of Captain Speer, i. 253 - - ---- of Rev. S. B. Drury, i. 251 - - De Lisle's, Miss, death, Supernatural music at, i. 135 - - De Lisle, Mr., on the Weld ghost story, ii. 54 - - ---- Mr. Edwin, on Strauss, i. 2 - - Demons, Belief in, ii. 212 - - Denial of the Supernatural, i. 1 - - Details of the Supernatural, i. 8 - - Discovery of a lost will, i. 204 - - Disease of witchcraft, i. 174 - - Double apparition at time of death, ii. 55 - - ---- in the West Indies, ii. 58 - - Dr. Lamb, the sorcerer, i. 202 - - Dr. Newman on ecclesiastical miracles, i. 36 - - Dr. Samuel Johnson on the Lyttelton story, ii. 45 - - Dr. William Harvey's escape from death, i. 284 - - Dream of a child, Warning given in the, i. 260 - - ---- of a dignitary realized, i. 257 - - ---- of a housekeeper realized, i. 240 - - ---- of a widow lady, i. 258 - - ---- of Adam Rogers, i. 219 - - ---- of Andrew Scott, i. 261 - - ---- of Mr. Matthew Talbot, i. 225 - - ---- of Mr. Williams of Scorrier, i. 226 - - ---- of the Princess Natgotsky, i. 255 - - ---- of the Swaffham tinker, i. 215 - - ---- Prognostication of death in a, i. 250 - - ---- Remarkable, of a clergyman, i. 247 - - ---- Warning given in a, i. 254 - - ---- Warning neglected, i. 244 - - Dreams and visions, i. 211 - - Dreams, Nature of, i. 210 - - ---- of James Jessop, i. 244, 245 - - ---- recorded in Scripture, i. 211 - - ---- reproduction of thoughts in, i. 215 - - ---- supernatural, i. 210 - - Dunbar's testimony, Rev. Dr., ii. 218 - - Dungeon at Glamis Castle, The, ii. 114 - - - Early Popes martyrs, The, i. 31 - - Eastern form of exorcism, i. 162 - - Ecclesiastical miracles, i. 32 - - Effect of the Supernatural, i. 7 - - Elimination of God, The, i. 19 - - Elizabeth Gorham bewitched, i. 187 - - ---- Style accused of witchcraft, i. 177 - - ---- Tibbots bewitched, i. 178 - - ---- Treslar hung for witchcraft, i. 181 - - Ellinor Shaw and Mary Philips, i. 182 - - Emperor Julian thwarted, The, i. 42 - - English canon concerning exorcism, i. 164 - - ---- statutes against witchcraft, i. 163 - - "Eternal," The term, i. 5 - - Execution of Frederick Caulfield, i. 223 - - ---- of Lamb's servant, i. 203 - - Exhumation of James Quin, i. 236 - - Exorcism, Power of, i. 57, 69, 82 - - ---- Latin form of, i. 138 - - ---- Oriental form of, i. 162 - - - Facts of witchcraft and necromancy, i. 164 - - Faculty of Jerome Cardan, i. 283 - - Fall of aerolites, i. 25 - - False reasoning, i. 26 - - Ferrers family, Omen concerning, i. 272 - - Florence Newton accused of witchcraft, i. 180 - - Friday an unlucky day, i. 282 - - - Ghost of Bisham Abbey, ii. 91 - - God and His creatures, i. 4 - - ---- The elimination of, i. 19 - - Guesses of Science, The, i. 14 - - - Hand of Arrowsmith preserved, i. 95 - - Hanmer, Mr. C. L., on an apparition, ii. 60 - - Hannah Green's testimony, i. 242 - - Haunted houses and localities, ii. 82 - - ---- chamber at Creslow, ii. 92 - - ---- Glamis Castle, ii. 114 - - ---- house at Barby, ii. 109 - - ---- house at Berne, ii. 126 - - ---- house in Cheshire, ii. 116 - - ---- house in Scotland, ii. 123 - - ---- place at York Castle, ii. 96 - - ---- places, ii. 84 - - ---- police cell, ii. 121 - - ---- road near Cardiff, ii. 114 - - ---- room at Glamis Castle, ii. 112 - - ---- room in the Tower, ii. 104 - - ---- spot in Yorkshire, ii. 100 - - Hell-Fire Club, The, ii. 207 - - Henry Spicer's testimony, Mr., ii. 75 - - ---- IV. of France, Omen of death to, i. 267 - - Herder on Witchcraft, ii. 210 - - Heresies of the modern Spiritualists, ii. 185, 191 - - Home, Mr. Daniel, ii. 151, 153 - - Hospitals, Christian in their origin, i. 10 - - Howell, Mr. J., on Spiritualism, ii. 176, 177 - - Howitt, Mr. W., on eternal punishment, ii. 186, 188 - - Hume on miracles, i. 23 - - - Increase Mather on the tests of demoniacal possession, i. 173 - - ---- Mather's "Cases of Conscience," i. 195 - - Inquiries regarding Wynyard, ii. 33 - - - Jane Brookes accused of witchcraft, i. 175 - - ---- Wenham accused of witchcraft, i. 192 - - Johnson, Dr. Samuel, on the Lyttelton ghost, ii. 45 - - - Kostka's, S. Stanislaus, apparition, ii. 53 - - ---- picture at Stonyhurst, ii. 53 - - - Labarum, The, i. 37 - - Lactantius on dreams, i. 213 - - Lady Betty Cobb, ii. 15 - - Lancashire demoniacs, The, i. 171 - - Lane, Mr., on Modern Necromancy, ii. 215, 217 - - Laud, Omens concerning Archbishop, i. 271 - - Law of causation, The, i. 3 - - Lecky, Mr. W. H. E., on the Oxford Movement, ii. 232 - - Legion, The Thundering, i. 34 - - Longdon, Mary, bewitched, i. 194 - - Lord Falkland, Omen concerning, i. 270 - - Lord Litchfield's note of a presentiment, i. 281 - - ---- testimony, i. 281 - - Lord Westcote's testimony, ii. 42 - - Lyttelton Ghost story, ii. 36, 42, 46 - - - Macdonald's, A., case of second sight, i. 285 - - Macknish on dreams, i. 215 - - Major George Sydenham, ii. 22 - - Marquis de Marsay on Spirits, ii. 86 - - Mary of Medicis, Omen of death to, i. 267 - - Media, Table of Spiritual, ii. 143 - - Mines, Haunted, ii. 84 - - Ministry of Angels, ii. 82 - - Miracles at Rome in 1792, i. 17 - - ---- Bishop Hall on, ii. 230 - - ---- examination of at Rome, ii. 227 - - ---- of our Lord, i. 30 - - ---- of Prince Hohenlohe, i. 17 - - ---- wrought by the Blessed Sacrament, i. 123, 126 - - Miracle at Garswood, i. 96 - - ---- at Metz, i. 128 - - ---- at Typasa, i. 42 - - ---- under Marcus Aurelius, i. 33 - - Miraculous cure at Pontoise, i. 83 - - ---- facts, Tradition of, i. 32 - - ---- of Joseph Lamb, i. 95 - - ---- of Mary Wood, i. 114 - - ---- of Winifred White, i. 116 - - Mediumship, ii. 143 - - ---- Clairlative, ii. 146 - - ---- Clairvoyant, ii. 150 - - ---- Developing, ii. 148 - - ---- Duodynamic, ii. 148 - - ---- Gesticulating, ii. 144 - - ---- Homo-motor, ii. 147 - - ---- Impersonating, ii. 145 - - ---- Impressional, ii. 150 - - ---- Manipulating, ii. 145 - - ---- Missionary, ii. 149 - - ---- Motive, ii. 144 - - ---- Neurological, ii. 146 - - ---- Pantomimic, ii. 145 - - ---- Pictorial, ii. 148 - - ---- Psychologic, ii. 147 - - ---- Psychometric, ii. 148 - - ---- Pulsatory, ii. 145 - - ---- Speaking, ii. 150 - - ---- Symbolic, ii. 147 - - ---- Sympathetic, ii. 146 - - ---- Therapeutic, ii. 149 - - ---- Tipping, ii. 144 - - ---- Vibratory, ii. 144 - - Miss Weld's testimony, ii. 54 - - Modern scientific methods, i. 10 - - Monsignor Patterson's testimony, ii. 52 - - More's "Antidote against Atheism," i. 173 - - Mr. De Lisle on Miracles, i. 15 - - Mr. De Lisle's testimony, ii. 54 - - Mr. Edwin De Lisle in reply to Strauss, i. 4 - - Mr. E. Lenthal Swifte's testimony, ii. 104 - - Mr. George Fortescue's declaration, ii. 43 - - Mr. Henry Cope Caulfeild's testimony, ii. 115 - - Mr. Herbert Spencer answered, i. 11 - - Mr. J. G. Godwin's declaration, ii. 68 - - Mr. Laxon's wife tormented, i. 189 - - Mr. M. P. Andrews' declaration, ii. 43 - - Mr. Ralph Davis on the Northampton witches, i. 182 - - Mr. Rutherford's declaration, i. 263 - - Mr. William Talbot's testimony, i. 226 - - Mrs. Baillie-Hamilton's testimony, ii. 66 - - Mrs. George Lee's testimony, i. 230 - - Mrs. Kempson's testimony, i. 254 - - Murder discovered by a dream, i. 221 - - ---- of Maria Martin discovered, i. 231 - - ---- of the crippled and imbecile, i. 9 - - - Naturalistic materialism, i. 10 - - Nature of God, i. 6 - - ---- dreams, i. 210 - - Necromancy recognized by the fathers, i. 161 - - ---- in China, ii. 220 - - Northamptonshire witches, The, i. 182 - - Notions, reintroduction of Pagan, i. 13 - - - Old traditions generally accepted, ii. 90 - - Omen concerning Archbishop Laud, i. 271 - - ---- concerning King Charles I., i. 268, 269, 270 - - ---- concerning Lord Falkland, i. 270 - - Omens and prognostications, i. 263 - - ---- The subject of, i. 263 - - Opinions of Strauss, i. 3 - - Oracles, The cessation of, i. 282 - - Ostrehan's, Captain, testimony, ii. 218 - - Oxenham omen, The, i. 273 - - - Pagan notions, Reintroduction of, i. 13 - - Patterson's, Monsignor, information, ii. 52 - - Perrone, Father, on Spiritualism, ii. 184 - - Philipsons of Colgarth, The, i. 90 - - Planchette, Use of, ii. 220, 222 - - Plumer Ward's, Mr., account of the Lyttelton ghost, ii. 46 - - Plutarch on the "Cessation of Oracles," i. 282 - - Popes martyrs, The early, i. 31 - - Portrait of S. Stanislaus, ii. 53 - - Power and malice of Satan, ii. 83 - - ---- of blessing and cursing, i. 90 - - ---- of exorcism claimed exclusively, i. 163 - - Presentiment of Lieutenant R----, i. 250 - - ---- of death, i. 262 - - ---- to Lady Warre's chaplain, i. 281 - - Principle of benediction, The, i. 88 - - Principles of the Broad Church party, ii. 137 - - Prognostication of death in a dream, i. 250 - - ---- of death to Captain Speer, i. 252 - - Prognostications and omens, i. 263 - - Propriety of a revelation, i. 5 - - Purbrick, Rev. E. J., on the Weld ghost story, ii. 54 - - Purport of dreams, i. 212 - - - Rebuilding of the Temple, i. 42 - - "Report on Spiritualism" quoted, ii. 153 - - Rev. Dr. Cox's testimony, ii. 54 - - Rev. Dr. J. M. Neale's testimony i. 243 - - Rev. Edward Price on the World of Spirits, ii. 82 - - Rev. G. R. Winter on the Swaffham tinker, i. 215 - - Rev. H. N. Oxenham's testimony, i. 277 - - Rev. J. Richardson's testimony, i. 253 - - Rev. John Wesley on evil spirits, ii. 85 - - Rev. Joseph Jefferson's testimony, ii. 100 - - Rev. Mr. Perring's dream realized, i. 234 - - Rev. T. J. Morris's testimony, i. 240 - - "Rules for the Spirit Circle" quoted, ii. 151 - - - S. Augustine on miracles, i. 30 - - S. Bernard on dreams, i. 214 - - S. Cyprian on dreams, i. 214 - - S. Cyril on dreams, i. 214 - - S. Irenaeus on miracles, i. 41 - - S. John's College, Oxford, Founding of, i. 267 - - S. Pacian on miracles, i. 41 - - S. Thomas Aquinas on dreams, i. 214 - - Sacrilege discovered by a dream, i. 232 - - "Sadducismus Triumphatus" referred to, i. 199 - - Satan, power and malice of, ii. 83 - - Science and faith, Rev. R. S. Hawker on, ii. 239 - - Science of the Pagan oracles, i. 161 - - "Scientific View of Modern Spiritualism" quoted, ii. 143 - - Scott, Dream of Andrew, i. 261 - - Scripture on witchcraft and necromancy, i. 164 - - Seance at the Marshalls', i. 203 - - ---- record of, from "Spiritual Magazine," ii. 169 - - Second sight, Treatise on, i. 285 - - ---- at Cardiff, i. 286 - - ---- at Ramsbury, i. 288 - - ---- Jerome Cardan's gift of, i. 283 - - Sexton, Dr. G., on spiritualism, ii. 225 - - Shakespeare's conception of the supernatural, ii. 89 - - Singular prognostication, i. 250 - - Sir Christopher Heydon on astrology, i. 200 - - Sir George Caulfeild, i. 223 - - Sir Henry Chauncy trying witches, i. 193 - - Sir Henry Yelverton and his death, i. 95 - - Sir Martin Beresford, ii. 13 - - Sir Matthew Hale's evidence as to witchcraft, i. 163 - - Sir Thomas Brown's evidence against witchcraft, i. 163 - - Slade's, Sir Alfred, testimony, ii. 218 - - Somerset omen, The, i. 266 - - Sorcery of Dr. Lamb, i. 202 - - _Sortes Virgilianae_, The, i. 269, 270 - - Sound of a drum, The, i. 278 - - Southey on haunted localities, ii. 84 - - Spectral dog, The, i. 280 - - Spectre of Lady Hobby, The, ii. 91 - - Spedlin's Tower haunted, ii. 97 - - Spirits, perturbed, ii. 87 - - ---- World of, ii. 82 - - Spiritualism despised, ii. 139 - - ---- modern, ii. 135, 169 - - ---- Mr. W. Crookes on the phenomena of, ii. 159 - - ---- Origin of, ii. 141 - - Spiritualistic manifestations, i. 205; - ii. 151, 153, 155, 157, 160, 161, 163, 169, 173, 175, 176, 177, 178, - 180 - - Statement of Lord Lyttelton's valet, ii. 45 - - Stigmatization, i. 98, 100, 101, 102, 105, 109 - - Strauss, Opinions of, i. 2 - - Successful exorcism by an English clergyman, i. 80 - - Sudden death of Ruth Pierce, i. 289 - - Supernatural banished, The, ii. 140 - - ---- basis of life, i. 12 - - ---- its work, i. 2 - - ---- noises at Abbotsford, ii. 99 - - ---- religion, i. 18 - - Surey demoniac, The, i. 177 - - - Tertullian on dreams, i. 213 - - Testimony to the fulfilment of a solemn Curse, i. 117 - - The Chester-le-Street apparition, ii. 3 - - The Christian system, i. 26 - - The Lyttelton ghost story, ii. 35 - - The Misses Amphlett, ii. 39 - - The Oxenham omen, i. 274 - - The result of a solemn Curse, i. 117 - - The sound of a drum, i. 278 - - The spectral dog, i. 280 - - ---- bird, ii. 128 - - The use of the Sign of the Cross, ii. 4 - - The white bird of the Oxenhams, i. 274 - - Theories concerning dreams, i. 210 - - Thirteen to Dinner, i. 281 - - Thomas Aquinas on miracles, S., i. 28 - - Three men rescued by a dream, i. 231 - - Tichborne dole, The, i. 264 - - ---- Curse and Prophecy, The, i. 265 - - ---- Mabella, Lady, i. 264 - - ---- Sir Henry, i. 265 - - ---- Sir Roger, i. 264 - - Tinley, Dream of Samuel, i. 262 - - Tradition of miraculous powers, i. 32 - - Treatise on second sight, i. 285 - - Trial of Rev. E. Arrowsmith, i. 91 - - Trinity of Comteism, The, i. 19 - - Twice-repeated dream of a sailor, i. 231 - - Tyrone apparition, The, ii. 11 - - - Unalterable experience, i. 24 - - Use of the Sign of the Cross, ii. 4 - - - Wallace, Mr. A., on spiritualism and science, ii. 193 - - Wandering souls, ii. 87 - - Ward's account of the Lyttelton ghost, Mr., ii. 46 - - Warning given in a dream, i. 238, 254 - - ---- given to a lady by a dream, i. 242 - - ---- to a lady, i. 258 - - ---- to a little child, i. 260 - - ---- to two persons in dreams, i. 258 - - "Weekly Register," The, on Mr. Wallace's theories, ii. 197 - - Weld ghost story, The, ii. 49 - - ---- Philip, drowned, ii. 50 - - ---- Very Rev. Alfred, S. J., on the Weld ghost story, ii. 54 - - Weld's, Philip, apparition, ii. 53 - - Westcote, Lord, on the Lyttelton ghost, i. 33 - - White's Dream, Sir Thomas, i. 266 - - Witchcraft and necromancy, i. 152 - - ---- and sorcery, Canon Melville on, i. 156 - - ---- common in non-Catholic countries, i. 201 - - ---- condemned in Scripture, i. 152, 155 - - ---- Definition of, i. 174 - - ---- Examples of, i. 176-201 - - ---- George More on, i. 171 - - ---- Herder on, ii. 210 - - ---- Jane Wenham accused of, i. 192 - - ---- Joseph Glanville on, i. 175 - - ---- recognized by the Fathers, i. 161 - - ---- Rev. John Wesley on, i. 160 - - Witches, The Northamptonshire, i. 182 - - "Wonders of the Invisible World," i. 198 - - World of spirits, The, ii. 82 - - Wynyard ghost story, The, ii. 26 - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] "Westminster Review," July, 1872. - -[2] Acts xvii. 27. - -[3] The idea of the eternal enters largely into the stock arguments of -unbelief; for it is through the asserted "eternity of matter" that the -unbeliever shifts away the ideas of creation and a creator. - -[4] Articles of Religion, No. 1, Book of Common Prayer. - -[5] Christianity, as we know, exhorted men and women to the care of the -aged, the suffering, and the infirm. Our Blessed Saviour's promise, -regarding the gift of a cup of cold water and its reward, was not -forgotten. Christian love resisted and cast out Pagan selfishness. -Hospitals were built where the diseases of the poor might be cured; where -the sore distress of hopeless pain and slow wasting-away might be soothed; -and asylums were provided where the weak and imbecile might be tended. Now -if the Pagan theories of "scientific people" are applied, the chief duty -of physicians in the future will be to poison their patients. Such a -conception would be ludicrous were it not so utterly revolting. - -[6] A writer in an influential organ of opinion connected with the -American Church puts forth the following vigorous protest:-- - -"It is quite as well that we should be accustomed to the logical -consequences of some of our philosophies. The tradition of Christianity is -so strong upon the most 'advanced' of our wise men that it holds them back -from the carrying-out of their principles. But here and there is one, and -we should all be thankful to him who is so intellectually constituted that -he must carry 'a law' to its issue, and by the issue let us see the nature -of the law. The hint of what may be is given in the revival of the -advocacy of suicide for the wretched, and the putting to death of the -helpless. Naturalism carried out comes to that conclusion. Mr. Herbert -Spencer had been patiently laying down principles which scores who think -they think are accepting, without the slightest idea, on his part -apparently or on theirs, that they are simple savagery and pure Paganism, -and that the man who dines off his aged mother has been acting on them, -though Mr. Spencer's name had never been heard in his native speech. - -"In some sense of the supernatural, in some faith in the unseen, in some -feeling that man is not of this world, in some grasp on the Eternal God, -and on an eternal, supernatural, and supersensuous life, lies the basis of -all pity and mercy, all help and comfort and patience and sympathy among -men. Set these aside, commit us only to the natural, to what our eyes see -and our hands handle; and while we may organize society scientifically, -and live according to 'the laws of nature,' and be very philosophical and -very liberal, we are standing on the ground on which every pack of wolves -gallops. - -"One may safely say, 'If you will show me, on any principle of naturalism, -or any rule of what you shallowly in these days call 'philosophy,' on any -law of nature, why I should not strangle my deaf and dumb child, smother -my paralytic father, or drown my hopelessly insane wife, then I will turn -materialist also.' We are far from believing that these gentlemen know how -they have been undermining the foundations of civilized and social life. A -lurid glare cast across these speculations, like this English discussion -of Euthanasia, may startle some whom Mr. Tyndall's discussion of the -scientific absurdity of prayer might not startle, though both are locked -in one, and stand or fall together. But however it be, we are sure that -man will find that society stands on supernatural ground, that the Family -and the Nation are divine, and that 'Naturalism,' modified or disguised as -it may be, is only isolated savagery--'every man for himself, and the -weakest to the wall.'" - -[7] A writer in the "Church Journal" of New York puts the case well and -fairly as follows:--"The scientific people have taken up the lost weapons -of bigoted theological polemics, and assail with the rough sides of their -tongues and pens any man who calls for further evidence, or presumes to -bring their assumptions to the test of examination. But having no more -reverence for the unsustained _dicta_ of Sir Charles Lyell, Mr. Proctor, -or Professor Tyndall, than for the same sort of _dicta_ from a Middle Age -monk, we shall go on calling for proof. Our credulity is incapable of -saying 'we know' about a thing of which, when we examine, nobody 'knows' -anything, except that some scientific man asserts it in his book. - -"We are not 'enemies to science;' we only want science, and not guesses. -And the thoroughly unscientific, uncritical, and credulous way in which -men like Mr. Proctor are declaring 'we know' about things of which they -know nothing, is one of the greatest obstacles with which science has to -contend." - -[8] "La Croix de Migne vengee de l'incredulite du siecle." Published at -Paris, in 1829. - -[9] "Account of the Miraculous Events at Rome in the years 1792 and 1793." -Published in London, by Keating and Brown, Duke Street, Grosvenor Square. - -[10] Hume's "Essays and Treatises on Various Subjects," second edition, -vol. ii. p. 122. London, 1784. - -[11] Ibid. vol. ii. p. 133. - -[12] Take for example the subject of meteoric stones. Marked changes with -regard to a belief in these, have existed in the past. The scholar can -testify that antiquity is undoubtedly in favour of their existence. -Plutarch, for example, in his "Life of Lysander," describes a celebrated -aerolite which fell in Thrace, and History testifies unmistakably to -similar events--more particularly to the preservation of such in ancient -temples. Yet it was not until the year 1803, when meteoric stones fell at -L'Aigle in Normandy, that the Academy of Sciences in Paris appointed a -committee to investigate the case, and their report determined the -question. Mr. W. G. Nevill, F.G.S., of Gresham Street, City, London, -comprises the above in the following testimony to facts which appeared in -the "Standard," of Feb. 25, 1873. "With reference to a paragraph headed -'An Exercise of Credulity' in your paper of the 24th instant, allow me to -offer a few observations, as the circumstance narrated therein of the fall -of an aerolite on board the Seven Stones light-vessel, as narrated by the -crew, is of extreme interest. The men in the light-vessel service are -carefully selected by the elder brethren of the Trinity House and trained -to make observations on the weather and record them in books at the time, -which books are received as evidence in the Admiralty Court. Their account -agrees in the main with the details given in other cases. My father, Mr. -W. Nevill, of Godalming, has a collection of specimens of 226 distinct -falls of such bodies. These take place in all parts of the world. I -believe only one instance has before been recorded in England. That -occurred at Wold Cottage, Thwing, Yorkshire, on Dec. 13, 1795. One of the -earliest recorded falls took place at Guisheim, in Alsace, during a -battle, Nov. 7, 1492, and was preserved in the neighbouring church. A -large shower of stones took place at L'Aigle, in north of France, on April -26, 1803 (not very far from the Seven Stones). These stones are of a grey -ashy colour and invariably coated with black enamel; other meteorites are -composed of solid native iron, and are sometimes of large size, as the one -at Bitburg in Rhenish Prussia, which weighed several tons." - -[13] "Athenaeum," for March 12, 1859, p. 350. - -[14] Testimonies to the Supernatural amongst Christian writers are -abundant. The following may be instanced as a few concerning such events, -both in the second and third centuries:--Justin Martyr, Ap. ii. cap. vi.; -Dial. cum Tryph. cap. xxxix. and lxxxii.; Irenaeus, ii. 31 and v. 6; -Tertullian "Apolog." cap. 23, 27, 32, 37; "Origen against Celsus," book i. -p. 7 and book vii. pp. 334-335, Ed. Spencer; Dionysius of Alexandria, in -"Eccl. Hist." of Eusebius, vi. 40; Minucius Felix Octav. p. 361, Ed. -Paris, 1605; S. Cyprian, "De Idol. Vanit." p. 14. - -[15] S. John xiv. 12. - -[16] "Hist. Eccles." cap. v. Chronicon. p. 82. - -[17] The following version by Dio. Cassius, translated from the "Annals" -of Baronius, affords no slender testimony to the account by Eusebius given -in the text:--"When the barbarians would not give them battle, in hopes of -their perishing by heat and thirst, since they had so surrounded them that -they had no possible means of getting water; and when they were in the -utmost distress from sickness, wounds, sun, and thirst, and could neither -fight nor retreat, but remained in order of battle and at their posts in -this parched condition, suddenly clouds gathered, and a copious rainfall, -not without the mercy of God. And when it first began to fall, the Romans, -raising their mouths towards heaven, received it upon them; next, turning -up their shields and helmets, they drank largely out of them, and gave to -their horses. And when the barbarians charged them, they drank as they -fought, and numbers of them were wounded.... And while they were thus -incurring heavy loss from the assault of the enemy, because most of them -were engaged in drinking, a violent hailstorm and much lightning were -discharged upon the enemy. And thus water and fire might be seen in the -same place falling from heaven, that some might drink refreshment and -others be burnt to death."--Dion. Cass. "Hist." lxxi. p. 805. - -[18] The treatise of Apollinaris, it should be added, is lost; and there -seems to be some ground for believing that a particular Legion bore the -name "Thundering" as far back as the days of Augustus. This latter -assertion, however, even if proved, cannot set aside the leading facts -recorded in the text. - -[19] "Life of Marcus Antonius," chap. xxiv. - -[20] "Historia Romana," lxi. 8. - -[21] Mosheim's "Ecclesiastical History" (Ed. Stubbs), vol. i. pp. 99-101. -London, 1863. - -[22] "Two Essays on Scripture Miracles and on Ecclesiastical," by J. H. -Newman, pp. 273-4, Second Edition. London, 1870. - -[23] Socrates, Philostorgius, Gelasius, and Nicephorus declare that the -Cross was in the sky. Sozomen, too, on the authority of Eusebius, makes a -similar statement. So likewise does Rufinus. - -[24] This standard was known by the name of the "Labarum"--a word the -etymology of which is very uncertain. It was a pole plated with gold, upon -which was laid horizontally a cross-bar, so as to form the figure of a -cross. The top of the perpendicular shaft was adorned with a golden crown, -ornamented with precious stones. In the middle of this crown was a -monogram representing the name of Christ by the two Greek initial letters -[Greek: X] and [Greek: R]. A purple veil of a square figure hung from the -cross-bar, which was likewise spangled with jewels. Gretser, "De Cruce," -Lib. i. cap. iv. - -[25] S. John v. 20. - -[26] Liber cont. Haer. c. xxxi. - -[27] Daniel ix. 20-27. - -[28] These miraculous interventions are testified to by S. Gregory -Nazianzen, S. Chrysostom, and S. Ambrose, as well as by Rufinus, Socrates, -Sozomen, and Theodoret. They are also recorded by Philostorgius the Arian, -and by Ammianus the Pagan. Bishop Warburton published a volume entitled -"Julian" in proof of their miraculous character, and they are acknowledged -as such by Bishop Halifax on p. 23 of his "Discourses." - -[29] Those who testify to the truth of this miracle are firstly a -Christian prelate, Victor Vitenus, "Hist. Pers." sec. Vandal, iii. p. 613, -whose words are translated above; the Emperor Justinian (who declares that -he had seen some of the sufferers, "Codex Justin." Lib. I. Tit. xxx. Ed. -1553); the Greek historian, Procopius of Caesarea, who asserts that their -tongues were cut off as low down as their throat, and that he had -conversed with them, Lib. I. "De Bell. Vand." cap. viij. and x. 1. AEneas -of Gaza, a Platonic philosopher, who, having examined their mouths, -remarked that he was not so much surprised at their being able to talk, as -at their being able to live. He saw them at Constantinople. Mosheim, -amongst Protestants, and Dodwell, the nonjuror, amongst English writers, -frankly admit the miracle. The most lucid and exhaustive account, however, -may be found in Section ix. of Dr. J. H. Newman's "Essays on Miracles," -pp. 369-387 (Second edition, London, 1870), where the ancient evidence is -set forth at length. - -[30] On this subject a volume has recently been published, entitled "The -Tongue not Essential to Speech: with Illustrations of the Power of Speech -in the African Confessors." By the Hon. Edward Twistleton. London: 1873. -This book has been carefully and exhaustively criticized in "The Month," -for September, 1873. It will be sufficient here to remark that the modern -scientific objections to this miracle, that, because in a certain case, by -the skill of an operator, a tongue was so removed with marked dexterity in -recent times, therefore the power of speech retained by the African -Confessors was an ordinary event, are objections at once inconsequential -and invalid. - -[31] "De Civitate Dei," Lib. xxii. p. 8. - -[32] "Epist. Sti. Greg.;" "Hist. Bed." Lib. i. c. xxxj. - -[33] _Vide_ "Sti. Bernardi Vita," _in loco_, published by Mabillon. - -[34] They were examined on the spot, by virtue of a Commission from John -III. King of Portugal, and were generally acknowledged, not only by -Europeans, but also by native Mahometans and Pagans. The important and -conclusive testimony of three Protestant writers--Hackluyt, Baldens, and -Tavernier--is set forth in Bouhours' "Life of Francis Xavier," which our -own poet, John Dryden, translated and published. - -[35] S. Matthew xv. 22-28. - -[36] S. Mark iii. 11. _Ibid._ iii. 15, 22-30. - -[37] S. Mark v. 2-15. See also S. Luke viii. 26-40. Instances of such -power bestowed and exercised over unclean or deaf and dumb spirits may be -found in the following:--S. Mark vi. 13; vii. 25-30; ix. 17-29. S. Luke -iv. 33-37; ix. 38-42; xi. 14-26. Acts v. 12, 16; xvi. 16-18; xix. 13-20; -xxviii. 3-6. - -[38] One of the most distinguished physicians in London recently assured -the Editor that, in his judgment, numerous peculiar and remarkable cases -both of epilepsy and madness could only be duly and rationally accounted -for by the Christian theory of possession; and he himself declared that if -the Church's spiritual powers on the one hand, and the virtue of faith on -the other, were more commonly put into practice than they are, many cures, -by God's blessing, might be looked for. - -[39] "The History of Cornwall," by Fortescue Hitchins, Esq., in 2 vols. -4to. Helston, 1824. Vol. ii. pp. 548-51. - -[40] The parish of Little Petherick is six miles north of S. Columb, and -three due south from Padstow. - -[41] Bishop Seth Ward, D.D.--Editor. - -[42] "No minister or ministers shall ... without the license and direction -(_mandatum_) of the Bishop ... attempt upon any pretence whatsoever either -of possession or obsession, by fasting or prayer, to cast out any devil or -devils, under pain of the imputation of imposture or cosenage, and -deposition from the ministry."--Canons of 1604, No. 72. - -[43] Mr. Hawker quotes from the Diary of Mr. Ruddle for July 10th, 1665, -the following triumphant entry:--"How sorely must the infidels and -hereticks of this generation be dismayed when they know that this Black -Death, which is now swallowing its thousands in the streets of the great -city [London] was foretold six months agone, under the exorcisms of a -country minister, by a visible and suppliant ghost! And what pleasures and -improvements do such deny themselves who scorn and avoid all opportunity -of intercourse with souls separate, and the spirits, glad and sorrowful, -which inhabit the unseen world."--pp. 123-4. - -[44] In the act of exorcism, of course it is not necessary that the -exorcist be a clergyman, in other words, in holy orders. An "exorcist" -technically so called, when formally ordained, is only in "minor" and not -in "holy" or "sacred orders." Any Christian layman, with faith and a -hearty desire and readiness to abide by the rules of the Church, can -perform the act of exorcism, if no duly-ordained exorcist can be had; just -as a layman (in the absence of a priest), can validly baptize. By baptism -the "old man" is cast out, and the work of regeneration formally effected. -By exorcism, some evil spirit or devil is expelled from a person -possessed, in the Name of our Adorable Redeemer, Who triumphed over death -and hell, and Who delegated Divine powers to the Church which He -instituted. "It belongs to an exorcist," writes a distinguished Western -divine, "by exorcisms to deliver energumens and catechumens from the -vexations of demons."--"Axioms concerning the Sacraments," No. lxviii. of -Augustinus Hunnaeus. On this point, the same theologian, sometime Professor -of Theology at Louvain, writes thus:--"In adults catechism, whereby the -doctrine of faith is delivered, ought to precede baptism; but exorcism, -whereby evil spirits are expelled, and the senses opened to the perception -of the mysteries of Salvation, ought to precede catechism. _Both, as well -catechism as exorcism, pertain to the office of a priest_; but in -catechizing he uses the ministry of a reader: _in exorcism that of an -exorcist_."--"Axioms concerning the Sacraments," No. xii. - -[45] This clergyman, whose name the Editor is not at liberty to mention, -is known to many to be "a discerner of spirits." He is now a dignitary of -the English Church in the colonies. - -[46] "The same has been attested to myself by M. Denison, nephew to the -celebrated Morand, whom I saw at that time at Maubuisson-les-Pontoise. He -ran the same career as his uncle, and was also distinguished for his -merit. F. G. P." - -[47] Deut. x. 8; Numb. vi. 22-26, a form which the Christian Church has -adopted and retained. - -[48] Heb. vii. 7. - -[49] Another version of this conversation gives the report as follows: -"And should I die unjustly and undeservedly, my lord, in that case, you, -my lord, shall soon die too, and follow me; yea within the compass of a -year."--_MS. Letter of Very Rev. Dr. Husenbeth._ - -[50] "That _dead_ dog Arrowsmith" stands in another version of this -portion of the narrative.--Editor. - -[51] They went in company with Thomas Cutler and Elizabeth Dooley. The -above facts were formally authenticated by the parents of Lamb, as also by -the Rev. Thomas Sadler, of Trafford, near Manchester; and the Rev. J. -Craythorne, of Garswood. A friend who resides in Lancashire informs the -Editor that this miracle is firmly believed by thousands (A.D. 1873). - -[52] It was on this day that formal and sufficient testimonies were put -into writing of the fact of the cure narrated above; and duly signed by -those who from their own personal knowledge could testify to the truth of -the same. - -[53] The event recorded above, Arrowsmith's sufferings and death, and its -details are taken from Dod's "Church History," Challoner's "Memoirs of -Missionary Priests," vol. ii. pp. 130-146; a "Relation of the Death of E. -Arrowsmith," published A.D. 1630; a Latin MS. of his life, preserved at -Douay; and special traditional information given to the Editor by the late -Very Rev. Dr. Husenbeth, Provost of Northampton. - -[54] This wonderful mystery is frequently represented in Christian Art, -both with beauty and effect. - -[55] See a rare and remarkable pamphlet, by Mr. De Lisle, with etchings by -J. R. Herbert, R.A., now out of print, containing an account of his visit -to the subject of this miraculous occurrence. London: Dolman, 1841. - -[56] The following is the full title of the volume from which the above -narrative and the extracts given are taken:--"Louise Lateau of Bois -d'Haine, her Life, her Ecstasies, and her Stigmata." A medical study, by -Dr. F. Lefebvre. Translated from the French. Edited by Rev. J. Spencer -Northcote, D.D., President of S. Mary's College, Oscott. To which the -following explanatory note may be added:--The name of Dr. Lefebvre is -sufficient guarantee of the importance of any work coming from his pen. -During twenty years that he has filled the chair of General Pathology and -Therapeutics in the University of Louvain he has gained a world-wide -reputation by his investigations in the wide and, to a great extent, -unexplored field of medical research. Add to this moral qualities of the -first order, and ardent zeal in the cause of religion, and we have a -character which commands our admiration and esteem in the highest degree. -The book, translated into English under the superintendence of Dr. -Northcote, is a medical inquiry into the case of Louise Lateau, the -Belgian _stigmatizata_. The medical features of the case are all that Dr. -Lefebvre proposes to treat, leaving, of course, to the proper -ecclesiastical authorities the theological investigation. An abridged -account of this case has been published, entitled "Louise Lateau, the -Ecstatica of Bois d'Haine," by Dr. Lefebvre, translated from the French by -J. S. Shepard. London: Richardson and Son. 1872. - -[57] This account was written in 1874. - -[58] Affidavits of the truth of the above narrative have been made by the -physician and clergyman who witnessed the miraculous intervention, as also -by the person more immediately concerned--Miss Collins. - -[59] Among the spectators were the following: Mr. R. Tobin and family, Mr. -John Sullivan and wife, Mr. C. D. O'Sullivan and wife, Mr. J. A. Donahue -and wife, Mr. George Hooper and wife, Mrs. Emmet Doyle, Mr. D. J. Oliver, -and many others. Dr. Polactri was standing by Miss Collins's bedside, -taking notes on the condition of the patient. He confessed the case was -beyond the reach of medical science. Her head moved from side to side with -the intensity of her agony, and her tongue was parched and swollen. - -[60] Mr. D. J. Oliver writes from San Francisco, in a private letter, as -follows: "I was awe-stricken whilst beholding the miracle. I know both the -young girls, and the account is correct in every particular, except that -the stigmata was on both sides of the hands and feet, and not on one side -only. I spent an hour with them last evening, and saw them at communion at -early mass this morning." - -[61] The account up to this point is copied from a Letter to Miss F. T. -Bird, dated September 3, 1809, by Mr. Woodford, an eminent surgeon of -Taunton, who attended Mary Wood upon her accident. - -[62] Certain stated prayers and devotional exercises continued throughout -_nine_ days. - -[63] The authentic documents of the examination, and of the whole process -of the cure, are contained at length in a work entitled "The Miraculous -Cure of Winifred White," by the Rev. John Milner, D.D., published by Grace -of Dublin, and reprinted, on several occasions and in different forms, in -England. It may be added that Winifred White departed this life on the -13th of January, 1824, nineteen years after her cure. She died of -consumption. - -[64] A well-known clergyman of the Church of England. - -[65] The account from which the above was compiled was a formal and -authentic statement of the Cure de S. Martin, at Metz (A.D. 1865). - -[66] The account given above is taken from a small tractate entitled "The -Miracle of Metz, wrought by the Blessed Sacrament, June 14, 1865," -translated from the French, by Lady Georgiana Fullerton. With the -imprimaturs of His Grace the Archbishop of Westminster and the Bishop of -Metz. London: Burns and Co., 1865. - -[67] See a series of most interesting letters, entitled "Is God amongst -us?" by a Clergyman of the Church of England, published in the "Union" -newspaper, for 1857, vol. ii. pp. 262, 329-330. London: Painter. - -[68] "The Measure of Christian Sorrow for the Departed," a Sermon preached -at the funeral of Mary Lisle Phillipps de Lisle, by the Rev. Henry -Collins, M.A. Loughborough: J. H. Gray, 1860, pp. 11-13. - -[69] "Indulgenced prayers are prayers to the recital of which is attached -by the Church the grant of _indulgences_. By indulgences Catholics -understand a remission of sin, that is, of all those temporal pains which -God inflicts for sin committed by His servants after baptism; and the -Church teaches that the power of remission was conferred by Jesus Christ -when He said to the Apostles, 'Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall -be loosed in Heaven.'" S. Matt. xvi. 19. - -[70] An anonymous seventeenth-century writer reasons as follows:--"To know -things aright and perfectly is to know the causes thereof. A definition -doth consist of those causes which give the whole essence, and contain the -perfect nature of the thing defined; where that is therefore found out, -there appears the very clear light. If it be perfect, it is much the -greater; though if it be not fully perfect, yet it giveth some good light. -For which respect, though I dare not say I can give a perfect definition -in this matter, which is hard to do even in known things, because the -essential form is hard to be found, yet I do give a definition which may -at the least give notice and make known what manner of persons they be of -whom I am to speak:--A witch is one that worketh by the Devil, or by some -devilish or curious art, either hurting or healing, revealing things -secret, or foretelling things to come, which the Devil hath devised to -entangle and snare men's souls withal unto damnation. The Conjurer, the -Enchanter, the Sorcerer, the Diviner, and whatsoever other sort there is, -are indeed encompassed within this circle. The Devil doth (no doubt) after -divers sorts and divers forms, deal in these. But no man is able to show -an essential difference in each of them from the rest. I hold it no wisdom -or labour well spent to travel much therein. One artificer hath devised -them all." - -[71] "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."--Exodus xxii. 18. "Neither -shall ye use enchantment."--Levit. xix. 26. "Regard not them which have -familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by -them."--Ibid. ver. 31. "When thou art come into the land which the Lord -thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of -those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his -son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or -an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a -consulter with familiar spirits, or a necromancer. For all that do these -things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations -the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee."--Deut. xviii. -9-12. Of Manasseh is recorded, that "He caused his children to pass -through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed -times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a -familiar spirit, and with wizards."--2 Chron. xxxiii. 6. Lastly, S. Paul -mentions "witchcraft" amongst such "works of the flesh" as "adultery, -fornication, heresies, drunkenness, and murders."--Galat. v. 19-21. - -[72] Many of the heathens cordially defended magic and Necromancy. For -example, Asclepiades, who lived in the time of Pompey the Great, cured -diseases by magic, _enjoining upon his patient, in the case of the falling -sickness, to bind upon his arm a Cross with a Nail driven into it_. -Julianus, the magician, is reported to have driven the plague out of Rome -by magical power. Apuleius, a disciple of Plato, wrote at length on magic. -To him may be added Marcellus and Alexander Trallian. Pliny asserts in -very plain language that Necromancy was so prevalent in his day, but was -condemned by the wisest, that it was classed with treason and poisoning. -And it is notorious that magic was long used as a convenient though -inefficient weapon against Christianity.--Vide, likewise, Livy i. 20, and -Strabo, lib. vi. - -[73] "Fuga Satanae. Exorcismus, ex sacrarum Litterarum fontibus, pioq S. -Ecclesiae Instituto exhaustus. Authore Petro Antonio Stampa, Sacerdote -Clavenense. Cum privilegio. Venetiis. M.D.C.V. Apud Sebastianum Combis." - -[74] "Touching the antiquity of Witchcraft, we must needs confess that it -hath been of very ancient time, because the Scriptures do testify so much, -for in the time of Moses it was very rife in Egypt. Neither was it then -newly sprung up, being common, and grown into such ripeness among the -nations, that the Lord, reckoning by divers kinds, saith that the Gentiles -did commit such abominations, for which He would cast them out before the -children of Israel."--"What a Witch is, and the Antiquities of -Witchcraft," A.D. 1612. - -[75] See note to this effect on page 152. - -[76] The following passage, from a sermon by the late Canon Melville, -bears out the above statement:--"It is unnecessary for us to inquire what -those arts may have been in which the Ephesians are said to have greatly -excelled. There seems no reason for doubting that, as we have already -stated, they were of the nature of magic, sorcery, or witchcraft; though -we cannot profess accurately to define what such terms might import. The -Ephesians, as some in all ages have done, probably laid claim to -intercourse with invisible beings, and professed to derive from that -intercourse acquaintance with, and power over, future events. And though -the very name of witchcraft be now held in contempt, and the supposition -of communion with evil spirits scouted as a fable of what are called the -dark ages, we own that we have difficulty in believing that all which has -passed by the names of magic and sorcery may be resolved into sleight of -hand, deception, and trick. The visible world and the invisible are in -very close contact: there is, indeed, a veil on our eyes, preventing our -gazing on spiritual beings and things, but we doubt not that whatsoever -passes upon earth is open to the view of higher and immaterial creatures. -And as we are sure that a man of piety and prayer enlists good angels on -his side and engages them to perform towards him the ministrations of -kindness, we know not why there cannot be such a thing as a man whose -wickedness has caused his being abandoned by the Spirit of God, and who, -in this his desertion, has thrown open to evil angels the chambers of his -soul, and made himself so completely their instrument, that they may use -him in the uttering or working strange things, which shall have all the -air of prophecy or miracle."--"Sermons on certain of the less prominent -facts and references in Sacred Story." By Henry Melville, D.D. In two -volumes. London: Rivingtons, 1872. Vol. i. pp. 57, 58. - -[77] The above definitions are taken from the literary productions of -certain of the most recent "philosophers" and "thinkers" already referred -to in the text. - -[78] "The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, -fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, _witchcraft_, hatred, -variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, -murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like." Galat. v. 19-21. - -[79] This took place in England in the year 1736, in the teeth of the -protests of many, who felt that a modification of laws founded on an -explicit principle of Scripture would have been both wiser and safer than -their total and absolute abolition. Amongst others, Mr. John Wesley wrote -and preached to this effect. Quite recently a distinguished Liberal -statesman remarked that if the practices of the so-called "Spiritualists" -still developed, as for some time they had been developing, some -re-enactment of the laws against Witchcraft might become necessary. It -certainly seems one-sided and unfair that ignorant women should be -punished for "fortune-telling," and that the paid professional mediums -should go scot free. - -[80] The following bears out the remarks in the text:--"The influence of -Christianity upon magic could not be small; material changes would -undoubtedly be brought about through its influence.... At the epoch of -Christ's appearance, faith in demons, and particularly in evil spirits, -was not only general amongst the heathen, but also among the Jews to an -incredible extent; and unbounded powers, even as great as those of the -Divinity, were ascribed to them, which not only were supposed to influence -the mind, but also Nature and physical life."--Ennemoser's "History of -Magic." Translated by W. Howitt. London, 1854. Vol. i., pp. 340, 341. One -particular fact may be here put upon record, as being, to say the least, -more than remarkable: To the Roman Emperor Augustus, who, according to -Suidas and Nicephorus, sent to a renowned Oracle to inquire what successor -he should have, it was answered, "_The Hebrew Child, Whom all the gods -obey, drives me hence_." No other response was vouchsafed. - -[81] The Editor is indebted to the Rev. Dr. Littledale for the following -note:--"There is an authorized Form of Exorcism in the Greek -'Euchologion.' It begins with the Trisagion, and Psalms, _Domine exaudi_, -_Dominus regit me_, _Dominus illuminatio mea_, _Exurgat Deus_, _Miserere_, -_Domine ne in furore_, and _Domine exaudi precem_. Then follows the -Consolatory Canon, with a long Hymn addressed to our Blessed Lord, the -Blessed Virgin Mary, and All Saints. At the close of this the priest -anoints the patient, saying a brief prayer over him, and so the office -closes." See also Appendix to Chapter iii. pp. 138-148. - -[82] John Selden, in his "Table Talk," in the article upon "Devils," -somewhat scoffingly asserts that the Roman Catholics affirm that "the -Protestants the Devil hath already, and the Papists are so holy, he dares -not meddle with them." - -[83] "The Question of Witchcraft debated." By John Wagstaffe. London: -1669. Second edition, 1671. - -[84] "A True Discourse upon the Matter of Martha Brossier, of Romorantin," -translated out of French into English, by Abraham Hartwell. London: -imprinted for John Wolfe. 1599. - -[85] "The Copy of a Letter describing the Wonderful Worke of God in -delyviring a maydene within the city of Chester from a horrible kind of -torment or sicknesse, 16 February anno 1564." Imprinted at London for John -Judely, dwelling in Little Britayne Street beyond Aldersgate, 23 March -1564. - -[86] "A Briefe and True Discourse, contayning the certayne possession and -dispossession of seven persons in one familie, in Lancashire." By George -More, Minister and Preacher of the Word, and now (for bearing witness unto -this, and for justifying the rest,) a prisoner at the Clinks, where he -hath continued almost for two yeares. A.D. 1600. - -[87] It is asserted by several authorities that no less than three -thousand persons were executed for Witchcraft during that dark period of -heretical pravity, the Great Rebellion. Now, as "Rebellion," according to -the express assurance of the Prophet Samuel (1 Sam. xv. 23) "is as the sin -of Witchcraft," no hearty believer in God's revelation can be at all -surprised to find that both Witchcraft and Rebellion in an atmosphere of -heresy flourished together, under that odious tyrant and hypocritical -fanatic, Oliver Cromwell: when the altar was thrown down and both King and -Archbishop were murdered. - -[88] "An Antidote against Atheism: or an Appeal to the Natural Faculties -of the Mind of Man." By Henry More, Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. -1655. - -[89] "Cases of Conscience concerning Evil Spirits personating Men." By -Increase Mather. Printed at Boston, and reprinted in London for John -Dutton at the Raven in the Poultry, 1693. - -[90] "Sadducismus Triumphatus: a Full and Plain Evidence concerning -Witches and Apparitions." By Joseph Glanville, Chaplain in Ordinary to -King Charles II. London: 1726. - -[91] A careful deposition as to the above facts was made before the -Justices of the Peace mentioned, who added the following formal -attestation: "The aforesaid passages [_i.e._ occurrences] were some of -them seen by us, and some other remarkable ones, not here set down, were -upon the examination of several witnesses taken on oath before us. - - "(Signed) Robert Hunt. - John Carey." - -[92] "The Surey Demoniack; or, an Account of Satan's Strange and Dreadful -Actings in and about the Body of Richard Dugdale of Surey, near Whalley in -Lancashire." London: 1697. - -[93] The following curious extract from a "Coventry News-Letter," dated -Nov. 2, 1672, certainly tells a wonderful story, in some respects not -unlike that recorded in the text. It serves at all events to show what -were the popular notions concerning occurrences which, to say the least, -were very remarkable; and it is reprinted here _verbatim_:-- - -"All our wonder here about is employ'd at the strange condition of a maid -neare us, one Elizabeth Tibbots of about 18 yeares of age liveing with her -unkle one Thomas Crofts at a place cal'd Hust (?) in ye parish of Stonely -(Stoneleigh) about two miles hence. Ye maid for about this 3 weekes past -has bene taken with strange fitts in which shee has vomitted up severall -things incredible, as first severall Peble stones neare as big as eggs, -knives, sissers, peices of glass some of them two or 3 Inches square, -peices of Iron, an Iron Bullet of at least 8 Inches round, and 2 pound & -halfe weight, a black drinking pot of neare halfe a pint, peices of cloth -& wood, a pockett pistoll, a paire of Pincers, Bottoms of yarne and -severall other things many whereof are now at our majors, and have bene -evidently seene to come out at her mouth, by many credible witnesses, nor -should I my selfe venture to give you this Relation, which seemes soe -unlike truth, had I not my selfe beene an eye wittness, with my most -cunning observation of soe much of it, that I am confirmed in ye beleife -of the whole, all which is imputed to some diabollicall practices of one -Watson a strang kind of an Emperick, to whom shee was some tyme a Patient, -who had it seemes soe wrought with her as that shee had promis'd him -marriage, & to goe with him (though shee knew not whither,) But afterwards -refused it. Immediately upon which shee fell into these fitts, yet has -shee her respites, dureing which shee appeares reasonable well, & I have -heard her discourse very rationally of her selfe & condition, a full -account whereof would be too long to give; 'tis said that for these 4 or 5 -dayes past (in which tyme I have not seene her) somewhat appeares to her -in ye shape of a dogg. Now, whether shee be bewicht or whether shee be a -witch, or whether ye Divell be in her, (as well as some others of her -sex,) I know not, but that what I have told you seemed to ye most vigilant -eye to be infallibly true is not doubted, so that if it be not really soe, -I can onely say the Divell's in't, who you perhaps may fancy to be in him -that gives you this seemingly incredible Relation, which be pleased to -accept for better, for worse from," &c. - -[94] "Witchcraft further Displayed." London: Printed for E. Curl at the -Dial and Bible. 1714. - -[95] In the "Overseer's Accounts" for the parish of S. Giles, Northampton, -there is an item for the purchase of faggots for the purpose of burning a -witch. A.D. 1705. - -[96] "An Account of the Tryals, Examination, and Condemnation of Ellinor -Shaw & Mary Phillips (Two Notorious Witches) at Northampton Assizes on -Wednesday the 7th of March, 1705, for Bewitching a Woman & Two children, -Tormenting them in a Sad and Lamentable Manner till they Dyed. With an -account of their strange Confessions about their Familiarity with the -Devil, and How They Made a wicked Contract with him to be revenged on -several Persons, by Bewitching their Cattel to Death, &c. And several -other Strange and Amasing Particulars." London: Printed for F. Thorne, -near Fleete-street. - -[97] The following "Letter" from Mr. Ralph Davis, of Northampton, -addressed to Mr. William Simons, merchant in London, is reprinted almost -verbatim, certain passages, by reason of their extreme coarseness, being -alone suppressed. It was published by Thorne, of Fleet Street, in 1705, -and had a very large circulation. It is entitled "The Northamptonshire -Witches:"-- - -"According to my word Promise in my last I have sent you here Inclosed a -faithful Account of the Lives and Conversations of the two notorious -Witches that were Executed on the North side of our town on Saturday the -17th instant, and indeed considering the extraordinary Methods these -wicked women used to accomplish their Diabolical Art, I think it may merit -your Reception, and the more since I understand you have a friend near -Fleete Street who being a Printer may make use of it in order to oblige -the Publick; which take as followeth; viz:-- - -"To proceed in order, I shall first begin with Ellinor Shaw (as being the -most notorious of the two) who was Born at Cotterstock within a small Mile -of Oundle in Northamptonshire, of very obscure Parents, who not willing, -or at least not able, to give their Daughter any manner of Education, she -was left to shift for her self at the age of 14 years; at which time she -got acquainted with a Partener in Wickedness, one Mary Phillips, Born at -Oundle aforesaid, with whom she held a frindly Correspondence for several -years together, and work'd very hard for a Livelihood; but when she -arriv'd to the age of 21 she began to be a very lude [lewd] sort of a -Person ... which wicked and loathsom Actions were not only talked of in -the Town of Cotterstock where she was Born but at Oundle, Glapthorne, -Benefield, Southwick and several Parts adjacent; and that as well by -Children of four or five years of Age as persons of riper years; so that -by degrees her Name became so famous or rather infamous that she could -hardly peep out of her Door but the Children would point at her in a -Scoffing manner ... [so] that she Swore she would be revenged on her -enemies tho' she pawn'd her Soul for the Purchase; and then Mary Phillips -being her Partner in Knitting and Bedfellow also, who was as bad as -herself in the Vices aforesaid, she communicated her Thoughts to her, -relating to a Contract with the Devil, in order to have the Wills of those -who Slandered them.... In fine as these two Harlots agreed in their other -Wickedness so they were resolv'd to go Hand in Hand in this, and -consequently go to the Devil together for Company, but out of a Hellish -kind of Civility he saved them that Trouble at present, for ... he -immediately waited upon 'em to obtain his Booty on Saturday the 12th of -February 1704 about 12 a Clock at Night according to their own -Confessions, appearing in the shape of a black tall Man, at whose approach -they were very much startled at first, but taking Ellinor Shaw by the Hand -he spoke thus--Says he, Be not afraid, of me for I am one of the Creation -as well as your selves, having power given me to bestow it on whom I -please, and do assure you that if you will pawn your Souls to me for only -a Year and two Months I will for all that time assist you in whatever you -desire. Upon which he produced a little piece of Parchment on which by -their Consents having prick't their Fingers' ends, he wrote the Infernal -Covenants in their own Blood which they signed with their own Hands and -the same Night.... In the Morning he told them they were now as -substantial Witches as any were in the world, and that they had power by -the assistance of the Imps that he would send them to do what Mischief -they pleased. - -"I shall not trouble you with what is already mention'd in the Tryals of -these two persons because it is in print by your Friend already but only -instance what was omitted in that as not having room here to contain it -altogether but as to their general confessions after their Condemnations, -take as followeth:-- - -"The day before they were Executed, Mr. Danks the Minister visited them in -Prison, in order if possible to bring them to a State of Repentance, but -seeing all pious Discourse prov'd ineffectual, he desired them to tell him -what mischeivous Pranks they had Play'd and what private Conference they -had with the Devil from time to time, since they had made that fatal -Bargain with him: To which Ellinor Shaw with the Consent of the other told -him that the Devil in the Shape of a tall black Man appear'd several times -to them and at every visit would present them with new Imps some of a Red -Coulour others of a Dun and the third of a black Colour and that ... by -the Assistance of these Hellish Animals they often Kill'd Men Women and -Children to the great surprise of all the towns thereabouts; she further -adding that it was all the Delight they had to be doing such wicked -Actions and they had Kil'd by their Inchantments and Witchcraft in the -space of nine Months time 15 children eight Men and six Women tho' none -was suspected of being Bewitch'd but those two Children, said the Woman, -that they Dy'd for; and that they had Bewitch'd to Death in the same Space -of Time 40 Hoggs of several poor People, besides 100 Sheep, 18 Horses, and -30 Cows, even to the utter Ruin of several Families: As to their -particular Intreagues and waggish tricks I have not Room to enumerate, -they are so many; only some remarkable Feats they did in Prison which was -thus, viz:--one Day Mr. Laxon and his wife coming by the Prison had the -Curiosity to look through the Grates and seeing of Ellinor Shaw told her -that now the Devil had left her in the Lurch, as he had done the rest of -his Servants; upon which the said Ellinor was observ'd to Mutter strangely -to herself in an unknown Language for about two Minutes; at the end of -which Mr. Laxon's Wife's Cloathes were all turn'd over her head Smock and -all in a most strange manner ... notwithstanding all the Endeavours her -Husband could use to keep her Cloathes in order; at which the said Ellinor -having Laughed Heartily and told her She had prov'd her Lyer, her Cloathes -began to come to their right order again. The keeper of the Prison having -one Day Threatened them with Irons, they, by their Spells, caused him to -Dance almost an Hour Naked in the Yard to the Amazement of the Prison: -nay, such Pranks were Play'd by them during their Confinement that no one -durst give them an ill Word, insomuch that their Execution was the more -hastened in the regard of their frequent Disturbances and great Mischief -they did in several places of the Town notwithstanding their Imprisonment. - -"They were so hardened in their Wickedness that they Publickly boasted -that their Master (meaning the Devil) would not suffer them to be -Executed: but they found him [a] Lyer; for on Saturday Morning being the -17th instant they were carried to the Gallows on the Northside of the Town -whither numerous Crowds of people went to see them Die, and being come to -the place of Execution the Minister repeated his former pious endeavours -to bring them to a sense of their Sins but to as little purpose as before: -for instead of calling on God for Mercy nothing was heard from them but -D----g and Cursing. However a little before they were ty'd up; at the -request of the Minister, Ellinor Shaw confessed not only the Crime for -which she Dyed, but openly declared before them all how she first became a -Witch, as did also Mary Phillips; and being desired to say their Prayers -they both set up a very loud Laughter, calling for the Devil to come and -help them in such a Blasphemous manner as is not fit to Mention, so that -the Sherif seeing their presumptious Impenitence caused them to be -Executed with all the Expedition possible; even while they were Cursing -and raving; and as they liv'd the Devil's true Factors so they resolutely -Dyed in his service, to the Terror [of] all People who were eye-Witnesses -of their dreadful and amazing Exits. - -"So that being Hang'd till they were almost Dead the Fire was put to the -Straw, Faggots and other Combustable matter till they were Burnt to Ashes. -Thus Liv'd and thus Dyed two of the most notorious and presumptious -Witches that ever were known in this Age. - -"To conclude: I heartly wish that these wretched Women's Sad and -Lamentable Fates may be a warning to all Proud, Lustful and Malicious -Persons whatsoever, least they be brought Step by Step before they are -aware unto the Devil's Slaughterhouse of Confusion and Misery to all -Eternity. - -"I am promised a Copy of the Sermon that was Preached by Mr. Danks at the -Church of All Saint's the next day after the said Witches were Executed -(being Sunday) upon that very Occasion, which I hope to send you by the -next Post. - - "I am Sir, Your humble Servant, Ralph Davis." - -[98] "A Full and Impartiall account of the Discovery of Sorcery and -Witchcraft, practised by Jane Wenham," etc. London: 1712. - -[99] "Sadducismus Debellatus: or a True Narrative of the Sorceries and -Witchcraft exercised by the Devil and his Instruments upon Mrs. Christian -Shaw in the county of Renfrew, in the West of Scotland, from August 1696 -to April 1697, &c." Collected from the Records. London: Newman and Bell, -1698. - -[100] "Another Brand Plucked out of the Burning: or More Wonders of the -Invisible World." London: 1700. - -[101] "Saddvcismus Triumphatus," pp. 20-37. - -[102] Two remarkable works for and against what was termed "Judiciall -Astrologie," were published in the latter years of Queen Elizabeth's -reign. One, attacking the system, from the pen of John Chamber, Prebendary -of Windsor and Fellow of Eton College (London: John Harrison, Paternoster -Row, 4to., Lambeth Library, 78 F. 22); the other defending it, in reply to -the above, by Sir Christopher Heydon, Knt., printed at Cambridge, by John -Legat, printer to the University in 1603 (Lambeth Library, 78 F. 12). The -former is a treatise of very considerable vigour and power of reasoning: -the latter is somewhat laboured, eminently pedantic, overburdened with -tedious and irrelevant quotations, and altogether very inferior from a -literary point of view. - -[103] In almost all Heathen or Pagan countries, Witchcraft, Necromancy and -Sorcery are recognized and established institutions. - -[104] There was a notorious sorcerer and reputed necromancer in King James -the First's reign, a certain Dr. Lamb. In Baxter's "Certainty of the World -of Spirits" (A.D. 1691), he records a curious instance of Lamb's -miraculous performances. This sorcerer, meeting two of his acquaintances -in the street, they, expressing a wish to witness some example of his -spiritual skill, were invited to his house. There they were conducted to -an inner room, where to their intense surprise they saw a growing-tree -spring up slowly in the middle of the room. [It may be here remarked that -the Oriental jugglers and sorcerers work a similar manifestation of their -powers, often witnessed and frequently described.--Editor.] In a moment, -as this record informs us, there appeared three diminutive men, who with -little axes felled the tree; and then the doctor dismissed his guests, who -had been duly impressed by his powers. On that very night, however, a -tremendous hurricane arose, causing the house of one of the guests to rock -from side to side, with every probability that the house would fall, and -bury him and his wife in its ruins. The wife in an agony of fear inquired, -"Were you not at Dr. Lamb's to-day?" The husband admitted that it was true -that he had been. "And did you not bring something away from his house?" -The husband confessed that he had done so. When the little men were -felling the tree, he had picked up some of the chips and put them into his -pocket. Nothing, therefore, as his wife pointed out, remained to be done -but to produce these chips, and get rid of them as fast as possible. When -this was done, the tempest ceased, and the rest of the night was perfectly -calm. It may be added that this sorcerer became so odious, because of his -necromancy and other infernal practices, that in 1640 the populace rose -upon him and tore him to pieces in the streets; while, thirteen years -afterwards, a woman who had been in his service was apprehended upon a -charge of Witchcraft, was tried on what seems to have been very strong and -conclusive evidence, found guilty, and in expiation of her crime was -executed at Tyburn. [The contemporary literature extant, relating to this -case of Lamb and his servant, would fill a large volume.--Editor.] - -[105] These persons are reported and reputed to be professional mediums, -and are said to be very largely patronized by people of all ranks and -classes, more especially the higher. - -[106] "Report on Spiritualism." Examination of the Master of Lindsay, p. -215. London: Longman, 1871. - -[107] Genesis iii. 1; Revelation xii. 9; Ibid. xx. 2. - -[108] The Editor, while avoiding the reproduction of examples which are -tolerably well known, has generally aimed at setting forth cases which -have not yet been put into print; though in some records which follow, a -few have been selected which have already been published, in order that -one example, at least, of all the particular kinds of warning and dreams, -may be here presented to the reader. - -[109] Genesis xx. 3; Ibid. xxxi. 11, and (to Laban) ver. 31. As to -Pharaoh's dream of a coming famine, see Genesis xli. - -[110] Numbers xii. 6; 1 Kings iii. 5-15; Daniel vii. to the end of the -book. S. Matthew, 1-20; Ibid. ii. 12 (as to S. Joseph), ver. 13. and -verses 19 and 20; Ibid, xxvii. 19. - -[111] Two valued correspondents respectively write as follows:--"One could -relate many such family incidents as you suggest, but everyone shrinks -from allowing them to be verified by name. I imagine that this reticence -arises from the natural dread and dislike to having what is sacred to -one's own faith and feelings submitted to the ridicule of sceptical and -rationalistic minds." - -Another:--"I send you the enclosed--a record of the supernatural -appearance which is always seen immediately prior to the death of the head -of our family. But I do not wish it printed; and absolutely forbid the -mention either of place or person, lest it should be identified, which -might cause annoyance to our friends." - -[112] De Anima, c. 45-47. - -[113] Ibid. - -[114] De Opificio Dei, saec. xviii. - -[115] Epist. Sti. Cypriani, lxiii. - -[116] Epist. Sti. Basilii, cxx. - -[117] Opera Thom. Aquin., Tom. ii., Quaest. xcv., Art. vi.: Tom. iii., -Quaest. lxxx., Art. vii. - -[118] "The Philosophy of Sleep." By Macknish. - -[119] The Rev. George R. Winter, M.A., Vicar of Swaffham and Rural Dean, -thus most obligingly writes to the Editor (A.D. 1874):--"The story of the -Dream is popularly believed, and there was a good foundation for it. In -the upper portion of the windows of the north aisle is some old painted -glass, which is supposed to represent the man and his family; but the -chief monument of his identity is a piece of old carving representing a -pedlar with a pack on his back, and also his dog, forming part of the -westernmost stalls of the choir. This, I believe, was at one time in the -north aisle, which the man is supposed to have built." The dream is -related at length in Blomfield's "History of Norfolk." - -[120] The above was written at Alton Towers, Cheadle, on the 23rd of -October, 1842, and duly signed by Mr. William Talbot, a relation of John, -Earl of Shrewsbury. - -[121] "The account here given of the Dream which occurred in Cornwall, is, -as I personally testify, true and accurate. (Signed) Rachel L. Lee -(daughter of the late Benjamin Tucker, of Trematon Castle, Esquire, and -daughter-in-law of the late Rev. T. T. Lee, Vicar of Thame), Kentons, near -Henley-on-Thames, May 14th, 1873." - -[122] A friend who provided the above example writes to the Editor:--"I -knew the family, and the circumstance of Mr. Perring's singular dream; and -can certainly testify to its truth." - -[123] From a Letter dated Nov. 1, 1872, in the handwriting of the Widow of -the Clergyman in question, kindly communicated to the Editor by the Rev. -Theodore J. Morris, Vicar of Hampton in Arden, near Birmingham. - -[124] The following document was drawn up about thirteen years ago, and -given to the Editor with the above account by an Oxford friend:-- - -"This is to certify that in 1840 I dreamt the Dream about the strange man -coming to the front door and forcing himself in; and that seven years -afterwards, that is in 1847, what I had seen in my dream occurred in -London, when, having heard knocks at the door when I was alone in the -house, I saw the man outside the door whom I had seen in my dream seven -years before. - - "Hannah Green. - -"Wootton, Oxfordshire, August 5, 1861." - -[125] "Notes and Queries," Sept. 24, 1853. - -[126] "I have carefully read the account which you have so nicely written -out from my own and my brother's Letters; and have also twice read the -same to my mother and brother. Both join with me in testifying to its -absolute truth and perfect accuracy. Our account was taken down from the -lips of the Rector of ---- himself. We, indeed, have reason to believe in -the Supernatural." - -[127] The Rector of Phillack and Gwithian, near Hayle in Cornwall, is the -Rev. Frederick Hockin, M.A. and Rural Dean. - -[128] He is described as "Wilfred D. Speer, Esq., of West End Lodge, -Thames Ditton, a magistrate for the County of Surrey, and a captain in the -Militia of that county." - -[129] "Statement of the Circumstances attending the Death of Wilfred D. -Speer, Esq., with copies of Testimony and Correspondence." London, -Ontario: John Cameron, Dundas Street, West, 8vo. pp. 12, 1867. - -[130] "If my dream come true, I am certainly approaching my latter end, -and have only a little time longer in this world." Attested copy of -Captain Wilfred Speer's Letter, given to the Editor by the Rev. John -Richardson, of Warwick. - -[131] He was shot dead on the night of the 17th of June, 1867, on board a -steamboat on the Missouri. - -[132] The following Letter has been received by the Editor from the -dignitary in question:--"Nov. 6, 1874. Rev. and dear Sir, I only wish that -my name should not be published. The statement, as written out by me, is -entirely at your service.... To the Rev. Dr. Lee." - -[133] It seems that as a matter of fact there is no tunnel near the scene -of the accident, but a long, level line of railway, very near the margin -of the sea. At least so a correspondent who knows the locality well has -informed me.--Editor. - -[134] "Having made enquiries regarding the fact of Tinley's remarkable -dream, which seemed to foreshadow his death by the well-known accident, I -can testify to the truth that he had such a dream, and that he regarded it -as a sign of coming death. - - "A. Rutherford, Wolverhampton. - -"July 14, 1874." - -[135] Sir Roger Tichborne, Knt. of Tichborne, flourished in the reign of -Henry II. He married Mabella, daughter and sole heiress of Ralph de -Lamerston, in the Isle of Wight. - -[136] Sir Henry Tichborne, born in 1756, married in 1778 Elizabeth -Plowden, and had seven sons, viz. 1. Henry, 2. Benjamin, 3. Edward, 4. -James, 5. John, 6. George, and 7. Roger. His eldest son Henry, who married -Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Burke, had seven daughters, viz. 1. Eliza, 2. -Frances, 3. Julia, 4. Mary, 5. Katherine, 6. Lucy, and 7. Emily. - -[137] "Staffordshire Chronicle," July, 1835. - -[138] Lysons in his "Magna Britannia," vol. vi. describing the parish of -South Tawton, about five miles from Okehampton, co. Devon, -says:--"Oxenham, in this parish, gave name to an ancient family who -possessed it, at least from the time of Henry III. to the death of William -Long Oxenham, Esq., in 1814." The mansion, as the Editor learns, has long -been occupied as a farm-house. It may here be added that it is believed -that Drake's friend, Captain John Oxenham, who lost his life in an -engagement with the Spaniards in South America (A.D. 1575), was a member -of this family. Mr. Canon Kingsley, in "Westward-Ho," has introduced the -omen of a Bird with a white breast in connection with this gentleman. - -[139] "A True relation of an Apparition in the likeness of a Bird with a -White Breast, that appeared hovering over the deathbeds of some of the -children of Mr. James Oxenham, of Sale Monachorum, Devon, Gent. Confirmed -by Sundry witnesses. London, printed by I. O. for Richard Clutterbuck, and -are to be sold at the figure of the Gun in little Britain, near St. -Botolph's church. 1641." British Museum, Press-Mark E. 205-9. - -A copy of this pamphlet is also to be found amongst Gough's collection in -the Bodleian. The British Museum copy contains a curious and very -effective engraving, representing the actual appearance of the Bird to a -person dying in bed. - -[140] It is also stated in this pamphlet that the clergyman of the parish -had been appointed by the bishop of the diocese to inquire into the truth -of these particulars, and that a monument had been put up with his -approbation with the names of the witnesses of each apparition of the -Bird. The pamphlet states that those who had been sick and had recovered, -never saw the apparition. It further came out in the evidence tendered, -that the same Bird had appeared to Grace, the grandmother of John Oxenham, -who died in 1618. - -[141] Lysons states that these monumental inscriptions _do not now_ exist -either in the church or churchyard of Tawton or Sale Monachorum. But, -considering the shameful destruction of monuments in late years by -so-called "Church Restorers," this is not to be wondered at. - -[142] It has been shrewdly and perhaps not untruly observed, that "a -genuine and solemn citation may tend to work its own fulfilment in certain -minds, who, by allowing the thing to prey upon their spirits, enfeeble the -powers of life, and perhaps at the critical date arouse some latent or -dormant disease into deadly action." - -[143] The following is from a MS. note of a member of the Editor's -family--George Henry Lee, Lord Litchfield, who was Chancellor of the -University of Oxford in the latter part of the last century. Lord -Rochester, it should be added, was allied to that family through his -mother, Anne, Countess of Rochester, previously the widow of Sir F. H. -Lee:-- - -"Lord Rochester told me of an odd presage that one had of his approaching -death in the Lady Warre his mother-in-law's house. The chaplain had dreamt -that such a day he should die, but being by all the family put out of the -belief of it, he had almost forgot it till the evening before at supper, -there being thirteen at table, according to a fond conceit that one of -these must soon die, one of the young ladies pointed to him that he was to -die. He, remembering his dream, fell into some disorder; and the Lady -Warre reproving him for his superstition, he said he was confident he was -to die before morning; but he being in perfect health, it was not much -minded. It was Saturday night, and he was to preach the next day. He went -to his chamber, sat up late, (as appeared by the burning of his candle,) -and he had been preparing his notes for his sermon, but he was found dead -in his bed next morning. These things he said made him inclined to believe -[that] the soul was a substance distinct from matter, and this often -returned into his thoughts." - -[144] The Registrar-General in his last Report writes thus:--"Seamen will -not sail, women will not wed on a Friday so willingly as on other days of -the week. It has been ascertained that out of 4,057 marriages which took -place during a certain period in the midland district of England, not two -per cent. were celebrated on a Friday, while thirty-two per cent. were -entered as having taken place on a Sunday." - -[145] Jerome Cardan, the strange sixteenth-century physician, who dealt so -extensively in horoscopes, and is said to have sought the assistance of -spirits, professed to own and exercise some specific and supernatural -gifts:--1. The power of throwing his spirit out of his body, by which he -could see things at a distance. 2. _His faculty of Second Sight, or of -seeing whatever he pleased with his eyes, "Oculis, non vi mentis."_ 3. His -dreams, which, as he maintained, uniformly foretold to him what was about -to occur, and by which he truly predicted the day of his own death, and 4. -his "unerring astrological knowledge." - -[146] "Miscellanies, collected by J. Aubrey, Esq." London: printed for -Edward Castle, 1696. - -[147] "A Treatise on the Second Sight, Dreams, and Apparitions," by -Theophilus Insulanus. Dedicated "To the Honourable Sir Harry Monro, of -Foulis, Baronet." Pp. 107-108. Edinburgh: 1763. - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - -The General Index was not a part of the original text. It has been copied -from Volume II of the series. - -Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_. - -The original text contains letters with diacritical marks that are not -represented in this text version. - -The original text includes Greek characters that have been replaced with -transliterations in this text version. - -The original text includes various symbols that are represented as -[Description] in this text version. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Other World; or, Glimpses of the -Supernatural (Vol. I of II), by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OTHER WORLD, VOL I *** - -***** This file should be named 43345.txt or 43345.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/3/4/43345/ - -Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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