LECTURE ON OLD HORSESHOES. 
119 
and the things below,—the invisible parts of the animated 
creation, and those parts that are visible. Among the invisible 
intelligences there are not a few orders that take a supreme delight 
in injuring mankind. It is these that wing the hurricane, scatter 
the seeds of pestilence through the air, and blast the fruits of 
the earth. Against these it is our duty to be upon our guard, 
and, by every method we can devise, to repel the shafts of their 
vindictive malice. Time was ovhen men wandered over the ocean 
without the knowledge of the virtues of the horseshoe! These 
ignorant times are past and gone. With this inestimable horse¬ 
shoe for a companion, we can traverse the seas with safety. 
“ This shoe will be of no avail against the malignant powers if 
taken new from the blacksmith’s anvil, but must have travelled 
many hundred miles attached to the foot of the animal. It is 
our custom also to place the open part dowmwards, as by this 
method the shoe represents an arch (which is a token of strength), 
as well as the rotundity of the heavens over our heads, which 
are fixed, durable, and to last for ever. The horseshoe receives 
some of its virtues likewise by passing through the fire. 
“ But it is not employed only for the preservation of ships; it is 
used by farriers and veterinary surgeons in curing vicious horses. 
When one of those valuable animals becomes affected with the 
mad staggers, which is a disease produced by the vindictive ma¬ 
lice of the evil one, it is invariably cured by the shoes being 
taken off and placed in the fire, and the witch or warlock is 
speedily under the necessity of removing the spell under which 
the animal suffered. 
‘AVe have likewise a further proof of the efficacy of the horse¬ 
shoe in the manner of reclaiming bewitched milk. On the return 
of the milkmaids from the loaming with their milkpails upon their 
heads, when the foremost takes down her vessel in order to pass 
under the doorwav, the mistress is ever ready to drop a horse¬ 
shoe heated redhot into the milk. A horseshoe is likewise com¬ 
monly nailed upon the doors of the cow-houses, that the Devil, 
if he attempted to enter, would be certain to burn his fingers. 
And it is not only in America that the virtues of the horseshoe are 
known : we first derived the knowledge of its virtues from our mo¬ 
ther country, England ; but even in the East it is used for the 
same purpose. Even the poor and effeminate Chinese have dis¬ 
covered its wonderful nature, for they have their tombs built in 
the shape of a horseshoe, that the evil spirits may have no power 
over the dead. The English were not the first people who dis¬ 
covered the wonderful virtues of this shoe; for we have reason to 
believe that the Goths, a barbarous nation, who overran the 
Roman empire,were the first people who manufactured this use¬ 
ful piece of horse furniture.” 
