44 On Popular Illufions. 



have been a well-difpofed, weak man, with ex- 

 tenfive reading on his fubjedl, but too narrow- 

 minded to comprehend it thoroughly. He in- 

 volved himfelf in unfpeakable difficulties, by 

 admitting the a(5lion of fupernatural powers in 

 certain difeafes, and in poffefTions, while he 

 denied that witches had any concurrence in 

 them. Thefe appearances, faid he, are illufions 

 of the devil, who perfuades fimple and melan- 

 choly perfons that the mifchief he himfelf per- 

 forms, is done by them, and at their pleafure. 

 He was weak enough, to attempt the explana- 

 tion of every ftory alleged by his antagonifts, 

 without queflioning the truth of the fadls. What 

 puzzled him moft was the dura materiesy that is, 

 the crooked pins, old nails, black flannel, and 

 other fubftances (or varia materies) vomited by 

 the patients. There were three hypoihefes for 

 this phjEnomenon \ i. That the matter was only 

 apparently difcharged, by an illufion, for Grillan- 

 dus, an eminent lawyer, obferved that when the 

 fubftances vomited were kept for fome days, 

 they began to liquify, and at length difappeared : 

 2. Or that the devil enlarged the pores of the 

 body, fo as to introduce the dura materies^ and 

 then fhut them up again j this was the opinion 

 ofParacelfus and others*: 3. Or that the devil 

 introduced thefe fubftances into the mouth, &c. 



* Wicr. de Malef. Affeft. p. 313. 



at 



