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believe them on their hare word, as much as if 

 they had feen them defcend from heaven, and who 

 look upon it as a fort of enchantment, that they 

 formerly believed them born like other men ; their 

 artifices are, however, generally fo coarfe and 

 thread -bare, that there are none befides fools and 

 children deceived by them, except when they act 

 in quality of phyficians : for who does not know 

 when the bufinefs in queftion is the recovery of 

 one's health, that the moil exceffive credulity is of 

 all countries, and even as common in fuch as 

 picque themfelves mod on their wifdom as in 

 thofe whofe underftandings are lefs enlightened ? 



After all, Madam, I repeat it, it is difficult 

 not to allow, that amongft thefe infidels there are 

 fome things very capable of deceiving, at lead, the 

 multitude. I have heard perfons fay, whofe vera- 

 city and wifdom I could not fufpedt, that when 

 thefe impoflors fhut themfelves up in a (love, in 

 order to make themfelves fweat, which is one of 

 their moft common preparations for their illufions, 

 they differ in nothing from the Pythias or fybils, 

 as the poets reprefent them on the tripod: that they 

 are feen to fall into convulfions and extacies, to af- 

 fume a tone of voice, and to perform actions which 

 appear beyond human power, and which infpire 

 even thofe fpectators who have the ltrongen: 

 difbelief of their impoftures, with a horror and 

 aftonifhment, which they are unable to over- 

 come. 



It is alfo affirmed that they fuffer greatly on 

 thofe occafions, and that there are fome of them 

 who are very difficultly prevailed with, and even 

 though they have been very well paid to deliver 

 themfelves into the hands of the fpirit which con- 



vulfea 



