On Popular Uluftons, ^i 



nJpeSls was denied. But the opinion was not fo 

 Ipeedily difcredited annong other clafles of men, as 

 with phyficians. Some of the firft charafters in 

 France were infatuated with their belief in pretended 

 prophets. Wierus* fays they were remarkable in 

 his time on this account. Sully declares that one 

 of the confiderations which kept him faithful 

 to his mafter, in the moft unpromifing ftate of 

 his affairs, was a prediction of La Brofle, that 

 Henry would make his fortunef ; Henry himfelf 

 was very uneafy, before his affaflination, on ac- 

 count of fome prophecies :}:. The aftrolocrer 

 Morin direded Cardinal Richlieu's motions in 

 fome of his journies§. 



In this country prophecies were always eagerly 

 attended to: Commines fays, that in his time, 

 an Englifliman was never without a prophecy 

 in his mouth. The ftatute of Queen Elizabeth 

 againft falfe prophecies, was occafioned by the 

 difturbances they excited in the ftate ; the Earl 

 of Northampton, in his Defenfative, afferrs that 

 they had produced many civil commotions, and 

 this affertion is repeated by Sir Edward Coke. 

 During the reign of James I. the fafhionable 

 opinions encouraged every fpecies of delufion : 

 Lilly was an ufeful tool to the Long Parliament, 

 and if we may truft his own reprefentation, con- 



• De Preftig. Demon. f Memoir. 



t Mem. de Sully. § Bayle Art. Morin. 



fidered 



