se 
418. 
trunk of fuper‘tition is divided, may be 
reckoned witchcraft and magic; and tho’ 
thefe have become decayed and withered 
through time, thcy ftill retain fome faint 
tiaces of their ancient verdure. Evefy in 
the prefent enlightened period of the world, 
perfons are not wanting, who firmly be- 
lieve that witches ride on broomfticks 
through the air, and commit their evil ac- 
tions cn men and cattle. If any uncom- 
mon ficknefs feize the people, it is gene- 
rally attributed to fome demoniacal prac- 
tice. Thele fupernatural and invifible 
beings are fuppoted to make fields become: 
barren or fertile, to raife or {till the tem. 
pelt, and to give or take away milk and 
butter at pleafure. The power of their 
incantations is believed to be irrefiftible, 
and to extend to the moon, which is influ- 
enced by them in the midft of her aerial 
career. Fortunately, however, for this 
part of the country, during the life of Mr. 
Farrer, the people were provided with an 
anti-conjuror, who was able to defeat the 
combined efforts of then arid their fable 
patron. His fame became widely d:ffufed, 
and wherever the account of his actions 
was reported, he feemed, like Virgil’s al- 
legorical figure, crefcere exndo. If the 
{poufe was jealous that the heart of her 
hofband was eftranged from her, fhe im- 
mediately confulted the anti-conjuror, and 
defired him to reftore the affeStions of her 
bewitched partner. If a friend or rela- 
tive was confined to the bed of ficknets, 
relief and convalefcence could not be ex- 
pected, without the fup-rnatural affittance 
and balfamic medicines of Mr. Farrer. If 
a perfon became deranged in his intelleéts, 
the injured cells of the brain were to be 
healed and adjufted by the magic charms 
of this celebrated man. It a farmer hap- 
pened to lofe his cattle, it was neceffary 
to purify the walls of tie houfe with woter 
fprinkled by this famous conjuror ; arid in 
endeavouring to account for the larent 
caufe of this difafter, he generally found 
fmall parcels of heterogeneous matter de- 
pofited in the walls, and confiding of the 
legs of mice, and the wings of bats ; which 
he affirmed to be the work of witches. If 
a perfon was dehrous of knowing the iffue 
of any event, he repaired to Mr. Farrer, 
who failed not to tatisfy him in this par- 
ticular. In fhort, very few things appear- 
ed to be too arduous tor this gentleman’s 
abilicies ; and though, like Paraceltus, he 
hoafted not of having difcovered the long- 
fought philofopher’s. ftone, yet we may 
venture 1@ affirm, that he found what was 
nearly equivalent: by the power of his 
ecculs fciences, he attracted gold fron. the 
3 
Aécouit of ihe Parih of Orton, 
{June 3; 
pockets of his cuftomers ; and, by this 
means, contrived to acquire a fubfiftencé 
for himfelf and his fam.ly. What Dry- 
den faid of the imimorial Shakelpeare, 
may, with propriety, be applied to this 
celebrated rian / © 
‘ Shakecfpeare’s magic could not copied be; 
Within that circle none durft move but he.” 
If the fhort limits of a ftatiftical eflay 
permitted, more juffice might be done ta 
this fingular character ; but ex pede Herc#- 
lem, from the outlines thus given, the rea- 
der will be enabled to finth the portrait. 
Tt is, however, neceflary to add, in what 
light foevei it may be viewed by others, 
that the writer bas never converfed upon 
the fubjeSt with any perfon, who has not 
as firmly believed the fupernatutal power 
of Mr, Farrer, as any thing the moft cer- 
tain and awhentic*, 
About hfa mile fouth from the church 
is a place calicd the chapel, where is @ 
well once highly eclebrated for its medi- 
cinal virtnes, and anciently dedicated to 
the Holy Virgin. Many a patient have 
its waters reilored to health, and many 
more have aitelted them healing efficacy. 
Thofe who were eurcd, offered oblations 
tothe Virgin. But as the prefiding power 
is fometimes capricious, and apt to deteré 
her charge, it has becn for a long time 
negicéted, unhonoured, and untrequented. 
In Doomfday Book there are only one 
or two places mentioned in this parifh. 
Ortcn Scar ts a high ridge of limeitone 
rock, extending about four miles from 
ealt to weit. Thofe who have feen the 
rock of Gibraltar fay, that this Scar greatly 
—reembles it. Mr. Farrer, of the Man- 
chefer fuciety, took a drawing of that part 
of the Scar, called the knot, in the front of 
which is the appearance of two or threé 
large terrace-walks. Thele he fuppofed 
to have been, at fome remote period, the 
work of art. We know not how far this 
conjectural opinion of Mr. Farrer may be- 
jut and corre&t ; but, bad he examined the - 
places in perfon, infead of making con- 
clufions at a diftance, it is probable he 
might have imbibed a different idea, and 
confidered them as the operations of na- 
ture. ; 
Upon the higheft part of Orton Scar is 
the beacon, which communicates with 
thofe of Penrith, Stanemore, and Winfell, 
in the barony of Kendal. At the time 
that it was neceffary to have garrifons in 
* One old gentleman, in particular, never 
relates certain of Mr. Farrer’s conjuring oper 
ations of which he was an eye witnefs, but he. 
fheds tears in‘ great abundance, Miiitik 
the 
