Weekly ESSAYS in JANUARY, 1745.*

And I give and bequeath all the Goods, Furniture and Pictures, which shall be in the Chief Lodge there at the Time of my Deceafe, (except fuch of them as I shall otherwife difpofe of by this my Will, or by any Codicil or Codicils to be by me made thereto) unto the fame John Spencer, his Executors and Adminiftrators, to and for his and their own Ufe and Benefit.

35

of Manchefter, her Heirs and Affigns, all that my Piece of Ground, with the Meffuage thereon built, and the Appurtenances, in Dover-freet in the County of Middlefex, and which I lately purchased of the Executors and Trustees of the late AI also give and bequeath unto the faid Countess of Westmoreland. Ifabella, Duchefs Dowager of Manchester, her Executors and Administrators, all my Goods, Chattels, and Furniture, which, at the Time of my Decease, shall be in or about the said last mentioned Messuage and Premiffes.

And whereas by Virtue of the faid Letters Patent, the Heirs or Affigns of the faid Samuel Edwards are feized or intitled to them and their Heirs, In Truft for me and my Heirs, of and in the Rangership and Office or Place of Keeper of the Little Park, at Windjor, and all the Lodges in the fame Park, during the Life of the faid Charles B now Duke of Marlborough, (the faid Henrita, late Duchefs of Marlborough, and George Churchill Efq; the two other Nominees in the faid Letters Patent, named with refpect to the fame Premiffes, being fince dead:)

Now I do hereby will, order, and direct, That the Heirs or Affigns of the faid C Samuel Edwards shall stand seized, poffeffed, and interested, of and in the faid Rangerfhip and Office, or Place of Keeper of the faid Little Park, and Lodges therein, and of and in all other the faid laft mentioned Premiffes, for and during_all the Refidue of my faid Eftate and Intereft, which shall be to come therein at the Time of my Decease, by Virtue of the faid Letters Patent, upon the Trufts following; that is to fay, In Truft for the faid Jobs Spencer the Son, for and during fo much of my faid Eftate and Interest therein, as he shall live.

And from and after his Deceafe, In Traft for his Father, my faid Grandfon John Spencer, his Heirs and Afsigns.

I give and bequeath unto the faid Hugh of Oxford, the faid Beverfham Filmer and Earl of Marchmont, Thomas Lord Bishop James Stephens, their Executors and Adminiftrators, all that my Leafehold Piece of Ground, and the Brick Meffuage, and other Erections thereon built, with the Appurtenances, in Grofvenor-freet, in the Parish of St. George, Hanover-Square, in the Intereft, which shall be to come therein at County of Middlefex, for all my Term and the Time of my Deceafe: And all my Goods, Chattels and Furniture, which at the Time of my Decease shall be in or about the faid Meffuage and Premiffes, upon the Trufts following; that is to fay, In Truft, for the faid John Spencer the Son, his Executors and Administrators,

Provided always, That in cafe the faid

DJohn Spencer the Son fhall not live to at

E

F

And my Will is, that all my Goods and Furniture, which at the Time of my Deceafe, fhall be in my Lodge in the faid Little Park, fhall be enjoyed by the Perfon and Perfons, who, for the Time being, fhall be in Poffeffion of the faid Lodge, and other the faid laft mentioned Leafehold Premiffes, by Virtue of this my Will; and fhall, at the Determination of my faid Eftate and Intereft in the faid laft mentioned Leafehold Premiffes, go to fuch of them, the faid John Spencer the Son, or John Spencer the Father, who fhall then be in Poffeffion thereof, his Executors and Adminiftrators: And in cafe of both their Deaths before that Time, then to the, Executors and Ad- G miniftrators of my faid Grandfon John Spencer. I give, devife, and bequeath unto my Grandaughter fabella, Duchefs Dowager

tain the Age of 21 Years, then in Truft. for my faid Grandfon John Spencer, his Executors and Administrators.

Item, I do hereby make, conftitute, and appoint the faid Hugh Earl of Marchmont, the Right Reverend Father in God Thomas Lord Bishop of Oxford, Beversham Filmer, and James Stevens, joint Executors of this my laft Will and Teftament: And I give the Sum of 2000 a-piece unto fuch of them my faid Executors as fhall prove this my Will, and take on them the Burden and Execution thereof, and of the Trufts hereby in them repofed, as an ble in and about the fame. Acknowledgment for their Care and Trou

[The Will to be concluded in our next.

.]

Univerfal Spectator, Jan. 19. N° 850.
Of the Belief of MAGICK, SORCERY and
WITCHCRAFT among the Vulgar; and
IGNORANCE and PRIESTCRAFT the
Cause of it.

Mr. Stonecastle,

gave us fome Time ago, in order to ri-
Was very well pleased with a Paper you
dicule

E 2

dicule the Doctrine of Witchcraft: But
am far from being of your Opinion, that
this Doctrine does actually lose Ground in
general, whatever it may do among Per-
fons of the most cultivated Understandings,
and in an Age and Country fo enlightened
as the Reign of George II. in England. Nay,
even in this Age and Country, I cannot A
think the Repealing Act has any Effect upon
the Common People.

Having been myself a long Journey in the Country, fince your Paper was publish'd, I made the Subject of it a particular Object of my Remarks upon the Road, and can affure you, that there are to this Day many Witches living, if Perfons may be faid to live whofe Company every one avoids. The unhappy Creatures are not indeed liable to a legal Profecution, but they may be justly faid to fuffer a most severe Perfecution. Ignorance is their Enemy, and the very werft Enemy fhe is in the Universe.

B

Exorcifm, among the Papifts, is ftill known to be one of the most folemn Acts of their Religion: And while it is fo, can C we expect an End to the Belief of Poffeffions and Charms? Among them, therefore, it is eftablish'd, and they conftitute a very great Part of the Chriftian World. Even thofe of better Understanding, who may not believe, must not however dare to ridicule what is impos'd by the Priests as an Article of their Faith.

D

The Greek Churches are well known to be overwhelm'd with Ignorance, and therefore among them we cannot expect to have the Matter mended. Accordingly we find that among the Ruffians, one of thofe Churches, the Common People were not long ago fo very stupid, and the Priests either fo blind or fo wicked, that the leaft Excellence in Art or Science was attributed to fome E diabolical Commerce, and a Man ran great Rifk of being hang'd or burn'd for knowing more than his Neighbours.

I think it was the Secretary of a Perfian Embaffador, who unadvifedly foretold at Mofcow an Eclipfe of the Sun that was to happen. His being able to foretel, made the Ruffians foolishly imagine he had the Power and Malice to caufe this Obfcuration of the glorious Luminary. Accordingly when it happen'd, the Embaffador's Protection was hardly fufficient to preserve his Servant, whom the enrag'd Multitude were for putting to Death as a Sorcerer.

F

A French Surgeon had got to the fame Place, and was in fome Degree of Reputation: But being fo unfortunate as to have G fome Skill in Anatomy, it entirely ruin'd his Business, and had well nigh cost him his Life. He had found Means to procure

Body, which having diffected, and cleans' the Bones, he put them together, and hung them up at a Chamber Window to dry, leaving the Cafement open. The Wind blowing, the Skeleton confequently mov'd: Which fome very wife Perfon feeing from a Window on the other Side of the Way, the poor Surgeon was taken up, accused of Magick, and had Difficulty enough to prove his Innocence before the Magiftrate.

That among the Idolaters of Afia, A-` frica, America, and the remote Northern Parts of Europe, the Belief in Magick and Necromancy fhould prevail, is not at all wonderful. The Priefts take upon them to be the Conjurers, whereby the Art itself is grown into the highest Efteem. Even the Folite Chinefe, who have been so much applauded by all Travellers for their Subtlety and Ingenuity, believe that the throwing up a Couple of Sticks by one of their Bonzes can influence their Affairs, and accordingly never undertake any Thing of Importance without paying for this Ceremony. The Fetish-Men in Africa and the Parwawers in America could have nothing more ridiculous than this, nor could a Lapland Witch fell a Wind with a more fenfelefs Piece of Juggle Yet in all thefe Countries the People heartily believe, which helps the Juggler to both Profit and Reverence.

:

But what is more to be wonder'd at, Travellers of our own and other Nations, who have committed their Voyages to Writing, are frequently guilty of interlarding their Accounts with Defcriptions of these Ceremonies, with fuch an Air as betrays their own Credulity in their Effect. Wafer, who refided some Time among the Indians of Darien, and wrote a Defcription of that Ifthmus, tho' he otherwife appears to be an Author of good Senfe, and great Veracity, falls entirely into the Credulous when he is upon the Subject of Pawawing. His Narrative proves, that these Indian Priefts had Art enough to impofe on this inquifitive European: And indeed, as he tells his Story, none of his Readers can well find where lay the Deception: But a Deception certainly there was.

Among us Proteftants indeed, the Clergy do not pretend to any magical Power, by the Name of either Exorcifing, Parvarving, or Fetishing But I am affur'd that there are Perfons at this Day, who, in defpite of the Laws, affume the Characters of Conjurers, or Cunning-Men; and that many are fo weak, efpecially among the Fair Sex, as to confult and pay them privately, in order to know their future Fortune, or to be deliver'd from Calamities they fuppofe themselves under by H-Tongacs,

See eur Mag, for Nov, kaßt, p. 558,

or

i

or malitious Incantations. An Ill-Tongue
is indeed a great Evil, from the Influence
of which we ought all to with Deliverance :
But we should confine this Influence to
our Characters and Circumstances, and not
extend it to our bodily or mental Health,
if we mean to talk reasonably and in-
telligibly.

A

No longer ago than the Year 1691,
the Province of New-England was all be-
witch'd, one Neighbour profecuting ano-
ther capitally for Witchcraft with the ut-
moft Virulence. Mr. Paris, a Preacher of
Salem, began the Scene in behalf of his
Daughter and Niece, who he pretended
were under Ill-Tongues. Several were ex-
ecuted upon the most ridiculous Accufati. B
ons, others were condemned, and others
faved themselves only by flying the Coun-
try. Dr. Mather, a famous Divine among
these People, publish'd a grave and formal'
Account of their Proceedings, by which
he fufficiently expofed his own Character
The Tragedy did not end till it was like
to reach the Doctor's own Family, when
hes Influence occafioned the Magiftrates to
be a little more rational in their Exami-
nations. In fhort, the whole was at last
found to be a mere Imposture, by the
most authentic and indifputable Tefti-
monies.

twelve credulous Judges were pack'd on Purpose to try him. They condemn'd him according to the Cardinal's Wish, and he was burnt alive. This is an Inftance both of the Weaknefs of a People, and the Malice a great Minifter may be guilty of fhewing.

It is merry enough to read the Terms of Urban's Indictment, as it was exhibited in a publick Court of Judicature. It ran upon the Depofition of Aftaroth, a Demon of the Order of Seraphims, and the Chief of those who poffefs People; Eafus, Celfus, Acaos, Cedon, and Afmodeus, of the Order. of Thrones; Alex, Zabulon, Nephtalim, Cham, Uriel, and Achas, of the Order of Principalities: Thefe being the Names the Nuns were taught to give to the imaginary Spirits, by which they pretended to be poffefs'd.

At Grandier's Execution, a large Fly was feen to buz about his Head: And fome. of his Enemies having Learning enough. to know that Beelzebub fignifies the Prince Cof Flies, it was immediately given out, and believ'd, that Beelzebub was come for the Soul of the Malefactor, in order to carry it directly to Hell.

Whenever an Enthusiasm of this Kind prevails, we find the Powerful making Ufe of it to opprefs the Weak, or de-D ftroy those against whom they have thought proper to entertain an Antipathy. The Cafe of Urban Grandier, Minifter and Canon of Loudon in France, is a very remarkable one to my prefent Purpose.

F

This Priest was a Man of much literary
Merit, and in particular a great Preacher.
His Sermons, which were honeft and E
eloquent, drew on him the Envy of the
Brethren in a neighbouring Monastery;
the Confequence of which was, that he
receiv'd Sentence to fuffer Penance for a
Crime he did not appear to be guilty
of, and was deprived of all his Benefices.
But being reliev'd from this unjust Decree
by the Parliament of Paris, his Enemies
were oblig'd to find out new Means for
his Destruction. In order to this, a Nun-
nery of Urfulines at Loudon were prevail'd
upon to feign themfelves poffefs'd, and
to accufe Grandier of being the Magician.
Cardinal Ricblieu, then in full Power, was
a Man of a vindictive Temper: Means
were found to fet him against this poor
Prieft, by infinuating that he was the
Author of a Libel against his Eminence.
Tho' the Piece was a mean Performance,
quite unworthy a Man of Urban's Genius,
Orders were fent for his Profecution, and

Gabriel Naude, a Man of Eminence in the last Century, wrote a learned Treatife, which he call'd, An Apology for the great Men that have been accused of Magick. In this Work he defends all the Heroes

of Learning that had lain under this Imputation, from Zoroafter down to his own Time; proving that fome of them were only Politicians, others Mathematicians, and others again eminent in va rious Sciences above the Reach of the Vulgar. Our own. Friar Bacon comes in among the reft; and perhaps never was there a greater Inftance of the Effect of Prejudice, not on the Populace only, but on Perfons of the first Rank, than in his Particular.

Apuleius, one of the Perfons defended, wrote an Apology for himself on the fame Account, which is yet remaining. He is of Opinion, that the Accufers on fuch Occasions do not believe their own Charge. This, I take it, will hold true with Regard to fuch Men as Cardinal Ricblieu, or the profecuting Minifters in New Eng land: But the Wickedness of the Intelligent will always influence the Weakness of the Ignorant; which explains my first Propofition, that the Belief of Magick is not like to be entirely rooted out from Gamong the Vulgar, while there are Perfons of better Understanding that find an Intereft in popular Delufion.

PHILODEMOS

NAMES