On Popular Etufton^. 



Ill 



Jfh-ltus perlenuem quUem, fed tamen pror/us intelliglhilem, /ape 

 audierit, de rebus prateritis aut prafentibus mirificam : at de 

 futuris plerumque incertam, fape etiam 'vanam ^ mendacem /— 

 Our modern ventriloquifts no longer pretend to the eift 

 of prophecy, but they poffefs the extraordinary power of 

 direfting articulate founds, fo as to produce an appearance 

 of their iffuing from any objeft within the compafs of the 

 voice. I do not find that any one attempts to teach this 

 curious art. 



From the furprizing deceptions produced by ventrilo- 

 quifm many perfons have hoped to explain the fadls of 

 demonology; but the talent feems to be rare, and every 

 witchmonger cannot command an operator at pleafure. 

 In the affair of Cock-lane I think the fuppofition unfatis- 

 faaory, becaufe I have never heard that ventriloquifts 

 could imitate knocking and fcratching by the voice alone. 



Diderot appears to have taken the idea ofhis Bijoux in- 

 difcrets from Tertullian's cyyarpi/AvOoi.. 



(R) p. 80. Dee's Conferences with Spirits.] Thofe 

 vifioas were evidently defigned, by a train of indecency, 

 to accomplifli a community of wives between Kelly and 

 Dee ; an event which took place after folemn invocations 

 of the Deity for his bleffing on this conneftion, fuper- 

 naturally ordained, and after the ftrongeft expreffions of 

 piety by all parties. This, it mufl be feen, deftroys the 

 credit of the book. I find Dr. Dee in the lift of the War- 

 dens of Manchefter. Probably he did not pafs for a con- 

 jurer before his preferment. 



(T) p. 81, Addifon's and Blackftone's faith in appari- 

 tioos was gratuitous, and perhaps more ridiculous than, 

 that of the ttouteft demonologifts. Thofe great men be- 

 lieved the pofTibility, and even the reality of fuch pheno- 

 I mena, without crediting any particular inftaiicr. Upon 



thiji. 



