3/1 



hill-cock under a banian-tree, by the chief of a Hindoo town, he 

 says " the blood was sprinkled upon the dancers, who giving a great 

 shout, cried out that the devil must be pacified with blood; God 

 with prayers. Some of these people sell themselves to wicked- 

 ness; nourishing a familiar in their families, appearing to them 

 upon their command, and undergo fiery afflictions to have the 

 most hurtful devil. Besides those diseases that are said to be 

 devils put into one another; about which, as many as I have met 

 with, I have been curiously inquisitive, their phenomena, or ener- 

 gies, are discussed by natural causes, and as often cured by natu- 

 ral means: but, on the contrary, it is allowed where they resist 

 them it is suspicious. And the devil, without doubt, cannot more 

 easily work on an}" than the weak and simple; and on that ac- 

 count may probably delude and over- awe these people that give 

 themselves up to him wholly out of fear; having not so much 

 virtue, fortitude, and cunning, to resist and check their cunning, as 

 the wiser sort. As for the visible appearance of a devil or daemon, 

 which they say is common among them, I am convinced it may be 

 credible; but in the meanwhile rage and melancholy madness, 

 assisted by the infernal powers, may create great illusions to a 

 fancy fitted for such an operation; and they may think ihej' see 

 things which in reality are not so." 



All history, ancient and modern, presents grounds for these 

 phenomena: the scriptures of the Old and New Testament clearly 

 assert the fact, as in the case of Saul with the woman of Endor, 

 and in many other passages. That such da3mons existed in our 

 Saviour's time none can doubt; had they not been common amono- 

 the heathen nations in preceding ages, the Israelites would not 



