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3. THEY are clearly ƒeen by theƒe Men of the SECOND SIGHT to eat at Funeralls [and] Banquets; hence many of the Scottiƒh-Iriƒh will not

teaƒt

p. 9

teaƒt Meat at theƒe Meittings, leƒt they have Communion with, or be poyƒoned by, them. So are they ƒeen to carrie the Beer or Coffin with the Corps among the midle-earth Men to the Grave. Some Men of that exalted Sight (whither by Art or Nature) have told me they have ƒeen at theƒe Meittings a Doubleman, or the Shape of ƒome Man in two places; that is, a ƒuperterranean and a ƒubterranean Inhabitant, perfectly reƒembling one another in all Points, whom he notwithƒtanding could eaƒily diƒtinguiƒh one from another, by ƒome ƒecret Tockens and Operations, and ƒo go ƒpeak to the Man his Neighbour and Familiar, paƒƒing by the Apparition or Reƒemblance of him. They avouch that every Element and different State of Being have Animals reƒembling theƒe of another Element; as there be Fiƒhes ƒometimes at Sea reƒembling Monks of late Order in all their Hoods and Dreƒƒes; ƒo as the Roman invention of good and bad Dæmons, and guardian Angells particularly aƒƒigned, is called by them an ignorant Miƒtake, ƒprung only from this Originall. They call this Reflex-man a Co-walker, every way like the

Man,

p. 10

[paragraph continues] Man, as a Twin-brother and Companion, haunting him as his ƒhadow, as is oft ƒeen and known among Men (reƒembling the Originall,) both before and after the Originall is dead, and wes alƒo often ƒeen of old to enter a Hous, by which the People knew that the Perƒon of that Liknes wes to Viƒite them within a few days. This Copy, Echo, or living Picture, goes att laƒt to his own Herd. It accompanied that Perƒon ƒo long and frequently for Ends beƒt known to it ƒelfe, whither to guard him from the ƒecret Aƒƒaults of ƒome of its own Folks, or only as ane ƒportfull Ape to counterfeit all his Actions. However, the Stories of old WITCHES prove beyond contradiction, that all Sorts of People, Spirits which aƒƒume light aery Bodies, or crazed Bodies coacted by forrein Spirits, ƒeem to have ƒome Pleaƒure, (at leaƒt to aƒƒwage from Pain or Melancholy,) by friƒking and capering like Satyrs, or whiƒtling and ƒcreeching (like unlukie Birds) in their unhallowed Synagogues and Sabboths. If invited and earneƒtly required, theƒe Companions make themƒelves knowne and familiar to Men; other wiƒe, being

in

p. 11

in a different State and Element, they nather can nor will eaƒily converƒe with them. They avouch that a Heluo, or Great-eater, hath a voracious Elve to be his attender, called a Joint-eater or Juƒt-halver, feeding on the Pith or Quinteƒƒence of what the Man eats; and that therefoir he continues Lean like a Hawke or Heron, notwith ƒtanding his devouring Appetite: yet it would ƒeem that they convey that ƒubƒtance elƒewhere, for theƒe Subterraneans eat but little in their Dwellings; there Food being exactly clean, and ƒerved up by Pleaƒant Children, lyke inchanted Puppets. What Food they extract from us is conveyed to their Homes by ƒecret Paths, as ƒume ƒkilfull Women do the Pith and Milk from their Neighbours Cows into their own Chiefe-hold thorow a Hair-tedder, at a great Diƒtance, by Airt Magic, or by drawing a ƒpickot faƒtened to a Poƒt which will bring milk as farr of as a Bull will be heard to roar. 1 The Chiefe made of the remaineing Milk of a Cow thus ƒtrain'd will ƒwim in Water like a Cork. The Method they take to recover their Milk is a

bitter

p. 12

bitter chyding of the ƒuƒpected Inchanters, charging them by a counter Charme to give them back their own, in God, or their Maƒter's Name. But a little of the Mother's Dung ƒtroakit on the Calves Mouth before it ƒuck any, does prevent this theft.


Footnotes

11:1 Note ( b1), p. 87.


Next: Chapter 4