From the fubfequent Paffage in Shakespear, the walking of Spirits feems to have been enjoined by Way of Penance. Hamlet: The Ghost speaks thus in "I am thy Father's Spirit, "Doom'd for a certain Time to walk the Night, "Till the foul Crimes done in my Days of Nature Mr. Gay, in Imitation of the Stile of our old Ennius, gives us a fine Description of one of these haunted Houses. "Now there spreaden, a Rumour that everich Night regular and perhaps more confiftent than many Parts of claffic Mythology: A Proof of the extensive Influence and vast Antiquity of thefe Superftitions. Mankind, and efpecially the common People, could not every where have been fo unanimoufly agreed concerning these arbitrary Notions, if they had not prevailed among them for many Ages. Indeed (he farther obferves) a learned Friend in Wales affures the Editor, that the Existence of Fairies and Goblins is alluded to by the most antient British Bards, who mention them under various Names, one of the moft common of which fignifies "the Spirits of the Mountains." The common People of Northumberland call a certain fungous Excrefcence, that is fometimes found about the Roots of old Trees, Fairy Butter. I conjecture that when a Quantity of Rain falls, it reduces it to a Consistency, which together with its Colour, makes it not unlike Butter: Hence the Name. I have met with a Man who faid he had feen one that had seen Fairies. Truth is hard to come at in moft Cafes; none I believe ever came nearer to it in this, than I have done! *The learned Morefin traces thus to its Origin the Popish Superftition, relative to the coming again, as it is commonly called, or "And oother Things, Faye, Elfin and Elfe, "And Shapes that Fear createn to itself." I fubjoin here fome Parts of a finely-written Converfation between the Servants in Mr. Addifon's Comedy of the Drummer, or the Haunted House. It will be thought much to our Purpose. "Gardiner. I marvel, John, how he (the Spirit) gets into the House when all the Gates are shut. Butler. Why look ye, Peter, your Spirit will creep you into an Augre-hole;-he'll whifk ye through a Key-hole, without fo much as juflling against one of the Wards. Coachman. I believe I saw him laft Night in the Town Clofe. Gard. Ay! how did he appear? Coach. Like a white Horfe. But. Pho, Robin, I tell ye he has never appeared yet but in the Shape of the Sound of a Drum. Coach. This makes one almoft afraid of one's own or walking of Spirits: Animarum ad nos regreffus ita eft ex Manilio, lib. 1. aftron. cap. 7. de lacteo circulo. An major denfa ftellarum turba corona, Huc migrant ex orbe, fuumque habitantia cœlum: Lege Palingenefiam Pythagoricam apud Ovid. in Metam. et eft obfervatum Fabii Pont. max. difciplina, ut atro die manibus parentare non liceret, ne infefti manes fierent. Alex. ab Alex. lib. 5. cap. 26. Hæc cum legerent Papani & his alia apud alios fimilia, voluerunt et fuorum defunctorum animas ad eos reverti & nunc certiores facere rerum earum, quæ tum in Cœlis, tum apud Inferos geruntur, nunc autem terrere domefticos infanis artibus: &c. Deprav. Relig. Orig. p. 11. Shadow. Shadow. As I was walking from the Stable t'other Night, without my Lanthorn, I fell across a Beam, -and thought I had stumbled over a Spirit. But. Thou might'ft as well have ftumbled over a Straw. Why a Spirit is such a little, little Thing, that I have heard a Man, who was a great Scholar, fay, that he'll dance ye a Lancashire Hornpipe upon the Point of a Needle.-As I fat in the Pantry last Night, the Candle methought burnt blue, and the fpay'd Bitch look'd as if the faw fomething. Gard. Ay, I warrant ye, he hears him many a Time, and often when we don't." Thus alfo in another Scene: "Gard. Pr'ythee, John, what Sort of a Creature is a Conjurer? But. Why he's made much as other Men are, if it was not for his long grey Beard.-His Beard is at leaft Half a Yard long, he's dreffed in a strange dark Cloke, as black as a Coal: -He has a long white Wand in his Hand. Coach. I fancy 'tis made out of Witch Elm. Gard. I warrant you if the Ghost appears, he'll whisk ye that Wand before his Eyes, and ftrike you the Drumstick out of his Hand. But. No; the Wand, look ye, is to make a Circle, and if he once gets the Ghost in a Circle, then he has him.-A Circle, you must know, is a Conjurer's Trap. Coach. But what will he do with him, when he has him there? But. Why then he'll overpower him with his Learning. Gard Gard. If he can once compafs him and get him in Lobs-pound, he'll make nothing of him, but speak a few hard Words to him, and perhaps bind him over to his good Behaviour for a thousand Years. Coach. Ay, ay, he'll fend him packing to his Grave again with a Flea in his Ear, I warrant him. But. If the Conjurer be but well paid, he'll take Pains upon the Ghoft, and lay him, look ye, in the Red Sea-and then he's laid for ever. Gard. Why, John, there must be a Power of Spirits in that fame Red Sea.-I warrant ye they are as plenty as Fifh.-I wish the Spirit may not carry a Corner of the House off with him. But. As for that, Peter, you may be fure that the Steward has made his Bargain with the Cunning Man beforehand, that he shall stand to all Cofts and Damages." The above is a pleafant Comment on the popular Creed concerning Spirits and, haunted Houfes. I am pleased with Mr. Bourne's Zeal for the Honour of his Proteftant Brethren, at the Conclufion of this Chapter.-The Vulgar (he fays) think them no Conjurers, and fay none can lay a Spirit but Popifh Priests-he wishes to undeceive them however, and to prove at least negatively that our own Clergy know full as much of the black Art as the others do. Here follows the tedious Procefs for the Expulfion of Damons, who, it fhould feem, have not been eafily ferretted out of their Quarters, if one may judge of their Unwillingness to depart, by the Prolixity of the fubfequent Removal Warrant, which I suppose the Romish Clerical Bailiffs were not at the Trouble of ferving for nothing! CHAP. CHA P. XI. POSTEXERCITATIO SEPTIMA, F. VALERII POLIDORI PATAVINI. Que ordo dicitur Domum a Demone perturbatam liberandi. The FORM of exorcifing an haunted HOUSE. THE * House which is reported to be vexed with Spirits, fhall be visited by the Priest once every Day, for a whole Week together: And Day after Day he fhall proceed as follows: ΟΝ The Office for Munday. N Munday, when the Priest comes to the Gate of the House, let him ftand near it, whilft it continues fhut, and fay, V. O GOD † make speed to fave me. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R. As it was in the Beginning is now, and ever shall be, World without End. Amen. * Domus quæ dicitur a dæmonibus vexari, fingulis unius hebdomadæ, &c. 1 + Pfal. lxx. Pfalm |