264 WHO WERE THE FAIRIES ? 



to these beings may become clear. The Fairies he 

 says, " are said to be of a middle nature betwixt 

 Man and Angels, as were Daemons thought to be 

 of old ; of intelligent studious spirits, and light 

 changeable bodies (lyke those called Astral), some- 

 what of the Nature of a condensed Cloud, and best 

 seen in Twilight. Thes Bodies be so plyable 

 through the Subtilty of the Spirits that agitate 

 them, that they can make them appear or dis- 

 appear att Pleasure. Some have Bodies or Vehicles 

 so spungious, thin and defecat, that they are fed 

 by only sucking into some fine spirituous Liquors, 

 that peirce lyke pure Air and Oyl : others feid 

 more gross on the Foyson or substance of Corns 

 and Liquors, or Corne it selfe that grows on the 

 surface of the earth, which these Fairies, steall 

 away, partly invisible, partly preying on the Grain 

 as do Crowes and Mice ; wherefore in this same 

 Age, they are sometimes heard to bake Bread, 

 strike Hammers, and do such lyke Services within 

 the little Hillocks they most haunt : some whereof 

 of old, before the Gospel dispelled Paganism, and 

 in some Barbarous places as yet, enter houses after 

 all are at rest, and set the Kitchens in order, clean- 

 ing all the Vessels. Such Drags goe under the name 

 of Brownies." And " Such Drags," we may feel 

 certain many a mistress would be glad to lure to 

 her household to-day. Not to quote further, Kirk 

 draws for us a picture of a body of people usually 

 but not always invisible ; when seen, most generally 

 by night and not by day ; inhabiting hillocks and 

 mounds of an artificial character (many raths in 

 Ireland were and to some extent still are associated 



