10 



their mere presence of making- heavy tables stand 

 for a considerable time upon one leg 1 , at an angle of 

 45, and that without in the slightest degree inter- 

 fering* with the equilibrium of the objects placed 

 upon it. Even high lamps remained unmoved, and 

 tumblers full of water preserved their equilibrium 

 without overflowing 1 . 



The way the same class of ideas and beliefs take 

 different forms in different centuries, seems to me 

 very curious. 



Again, here is another curious illustration of the 

 way history repeats itself. 



In the introduction to the Hexenhammer, we 

 read : " Even preachers of the Divine word were 

 te found w r ho did not hesitate to assure the people 

 " that there were no such thing's as witches, and 

 <( that they had no arts by which they could injure 

 " men and animals ; by which imprudent language 

 (( the secular arm was not unfrequently restrained 

 " from punishing- such sorceries, and thus they 

 " became amazingly increased, and heresy became 

 " enormously strengthened." 



So in 1866 we read in the newspapers of the 

 period, that even magistrates were found who did 

 not hesitate to assure the people that the prevailing- 

 ideas about the cattle plague were absurd, exag- 

 gerated, and superstitious; by which imprudent 

 language the precautionary measures became in 

 those localities less stringent, and the plague raged 

 with increased violence. 



