1799.] 
abontin mighty numbers,and to exert them- 
felves with extraordinary activity : but 
the fairies, who are thus bufy upon fuch 
an occafion, can furely be no other than 
the faints to whom it has been confecrated. 
The notion of a human victim to be by 
thole fairies facrificed at the end of every 
feven years to the devil, has, in all pro- 
bability, had its origin-in the mylterious 
horrors of thofe rites of the Druidical and 
the Scandinavian worfhip, in which human 
victims were facrificed, to avert the wrath 
ef gloomy, malevolent divinities. It 
may be, that the Druids were accuftomed 
to fteal away infants for thofe horrid and 
barbarous rites, fomewhat in the manner 
in which they have been faid to be folen 
away by the fairies. 
As to the ideas entertained by the 
fimple vulgar among us, concerning 
wraiths fometimes feen immediately be- 
fore the death of the perfons whom they 
reprefent; and concerning ghoits feen 
after the deaths of fuch perfons; thefe 
feem to be almoft entirely of Jewifh and 
of Popifh origin. It was a Jewith idea, 
- that every human being is always attended 
by a good and a bad angel ; that there is 
an inceflant conteft between thefe rival 
fpirits for the maftery over the conduct of 
their charge: that, upon occafions of 
extraordinary temptation or danger, one 
or both of thefe guardians, will become 
vilible, interpofing in, their ward’s behalf, 
or departing for ever front him. ‘This 
idea,- perhaps, in its primary origin, 
rather Perfian than Jewifh, was from the 
Jews communicated to the chriftians; 
among them, has been handed down 
from age to age, in their traditions, in 
the bible, and in their other writings, 
The popular notions concerning ghotts, 
are precifely thofe which were taught by 
the Roman-catholic clergy, during the 
dark ages, They are thole notions which 
originate m the natural fentiments of the 
human heart; modified and accom- 
modated to the abfurd views and inter- 
efted purpofes of the chriftian clergy in 
the times of the gloomieft ignorance. 
They retain their influence among our 
vulgar; becaufe it is very, very long 
before a thorough change can be effe&ted 
upon the vulgar creed concerning any 
fyitem of fubjects. 
* Youland, near Kirkudbright, 
April 9. 
ee 
To the Editor of the Monihl; Magazine. 
eS SE 
OUR correfpondent at p. 30, folicits 
information concerning a fociety of 
MontTuix Mac. No. xxiv. 
ER ae 
Fairies, Sc.....fefuits at Avignon. 
/ 
285 
Jefuits at Avignon, (he fhould have faid 
concerning a religious convention aflem~ 
bled by the Jefuits at Avignon) to whom 
he aferibes a fecret connexion with various 
European courts. 
Of the nature and quality of this con- 
vention, he may form fome idea by the 
perufal of two pamphlets; “‘ Te/fimony of 
the Spirit of Truth, by W. Bryan,” and 
another by F. Wright, 1795, which con- 
tain memoirs of the journey of two of the 
Englifh apoftolic chara€ters who attended, 
Of the general views which animate the 
occult and fuperintending body, of which 
this convention was to have been an ine 
ftrument, fome idea may be collected 
from the 5th chapter of a German book 
entitled *Vorlaujige Darftellung des beutiger 
Fefuitifinus, der Rofenkreuzxerey, Profélyn 
tenmacherey, und Keligions wvereinigungy 
BH Vs 6 adi 
A. conneétion ftill fubfifts between va~ 
rious fuperftitious focieties in Great Bria 
tain, and fimilar combinations on the 
continent, which is ‘conducted by the 
frequent deputation of miffionaries. 
I with to dire&t the attention of the 
Abbé Barruel’s commentators to a Ger- 
man novel printed in 1785, and called 
*¢ Saint-Nicaife,’’ which contains the hif- 
tory of a Quixote of free-mafonry, and 
appears to have fupplied the principal 
alfumed facts on which the neweft ac- 
counts of the interior ftruéture of that 
order are founded. i 
Your’s, &c, XeVe 
SEE Ee 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazines 
SIR, 
did not till very lately perceive an 
error wuich has accidentally crept into 
your excellent mifcellany, in the departs 
ment of retrofpective literature, agp 3> 
page 42 :, where you affert, in fpeaking of 
Simeon’s Skeletons, that the fame author 
“has lately given a new tranflation of 
Claude's Kffay on the comtpafition of a 
Sermon.’ Now, Sir, the tranflation that 
accompanies Mir. S.’s Skeletons is with- 
out any alteration or emendation what- 
ever ; the famé whichthe late Mr. Robin- 
fon, of Cambridge, made fome years ago 
from the French, and which was pub= 
lifhed in two 8vo. volumes with the in- 
cumbrance of a copious, and (as the 
author juftly entitles them) odd farrago’” 
of notes, moft of which are very foreign 
from the fubjest of the effay, and rarely 
illuftrative of any thing contained in it. 
Perhaps, Mr. WAKEFIELD (if he is 
not already apprized of it) may be clad 
tolearn that there exifts a rumour at St. 
Oo John’s 

