On Popular Illufions. 35 



or natural objects, defired to be feen, in a ma- 

 gical lens. Meric Cafaubon publifhed Dee's 

 Conferences with Spirits, in a large folio, ac- 

 companied with a Preface, Some curious par- 

 ticulars refpeding this man, of Evans, and For- 

 man, who was employed in Somerfet's ^affair, 

 may be found in Lilly's Life; or in the Anti- 

 quarian Repertory, where they have been lately 

 republifhed. 



Martin relates that a fpecies of divination had 

 been praftifed in fome of the weftern illands, 

 within his memory, which does not appear to 

 have prevailed in the reft of Europe ; at leaft 

 I find no notice of it among the demonologifts. 

 The perfons defirous of an oracle went into 

 a folitary place, carrying with them an ox, which 

 they killed on the fpot. A fire was then made, 

 under a rock, or near a tree, the animal was 

 flayed, and the boldeft of the company was 

 wrapped up in the hide, tied faft, and left alone 

 during the whole iiight, to expedt an anfwer 

 to the demand made by his friends, from invifi- 

 ble beings whom he heard about him. Martin 

 adds that he had this relation from a perfon 

 who himfelf had pafled a night in the hide, and 

 who afTured him that he heard fuch dreadful 

 things during thac night, that no temptations 

 Jhould ever induce him to expofe himfelf again 

 in the fame fituation(F). It is remarkable that 

 this fort of oracle fhou\,d be fo little known 

 D 2* to 



