On Popular Illufions, 6$ 



" thought it to have been*. At the fame time, 

 the commiflioners, who examined the nature of 

 the boy's fits, were all terrified by feeing a black 

 dog in the room, belonging to a Spurrier, 

 which they took for the devil f. In 1633, fe- 

 venteen perfons were condemned at Lancafler 

 alTizes, on the evidence of a boy, who afterwards 

 confeiTed himfelf to be an impoftorj Webfler 

 fays he heard this confeffion from the boy's own 

 mouth. 



This fecond clafs of witnefTes got money from 

 the well-difpofed J, and therefore are of no 

 credit. 



Demonologifts, indeed, profefs themfelves wil- 

 ling to give up all inftances where any deception 

 can be pointed out, and confine themfelves to 

 thofe which are not circumftantially difproved; 

 they exult particularly in the ftory of Mom- 

 pelTon, which is publifhed at great length, in 

 the Saducifmus Triumphatus. It is true that 

 no impofition was ever difcovered in that affair, 

 but it is a ftrong prefumption againft the demo- 

 niacal nature of the difturbances, that when the 

 King fent fome Gentlemen to inquire into them, 

 every thing was quiet during their refidence in 

 the houfe. Glanville excufes this, by faying that 



• Id. p. 260. + Id. lb. 



X The Robinfons, who accufed feventeen at Lancafter, 

 went from parifli to parifli, and received contributions — 

 Ilutchinfon. 



Vof,. TIT. r • the 



