62 On Popular Ulufions. 



nel, &c. vomited by patients, it is impofllbre 

 to avoid recollecting Dr. Smollett's ftory of the 

 three black crows, yet Wierus afferts that he has 

 taken pieces of flannel out of a patient's 

 mouth, immediately after infpefting it diligently, 

 to fatisfy himfelf that nothing was concealed 

 there*. He -is obliged to confefs that the fub- 

 ftance extrafted had never been in the flomach, 

 becaufe it was Jcarcely wet, and if we fay, in 

 purfuing his theory, that a confederate and not 

 a demon introduced the materies into the mouth, 

 all the obfcurity of the queftion vanilhes. 



II. I. In tracing fufpicions of magic, it can- 

 not be too often repeated that knowledge and 

 addrefs exceeding the common (tandard were 

 frequently their fole foundation. Moft of the 

 popes were reckoned magicians, according to 

 Wierusf, who adds a particular relating to 

 Gregory VII. which deferves fome attention : 

 that Pontiff was held in great veneration, be- 

 caufe when he pulled off his gloves, fiery fparks 

 iffued from them ; quando volebaty (Wierus quotes 

 from Benno,) manicas difcutiebat fuas, unde ignis 

 in fcintillarum modum dijfiliit. This is a curious 

 anticipation of Canton's difcovery. 



2. The figns pointed out by demonologifts 

 are futile and inconclufive(M). One of them 

 is drawn from the fufpecEled witch inquiring 

 anxioufly about the health of the patient. Ridi- 



♦ P. 286. t P, 358. 



culous 



