Whether Is Most Hurtful To The World The Devil Walking About Without His Cloven-foot Or The Cloven-foot Walking About Without T

In discussing this most critical Distinction of Satan's private Motions,

I must, as the Pulpit Gentlemen direct us, explain the Text, and let you

know what I mean by several dark Expressions in it, that I may not be

understood to talk (as the Devil walks) in the dark.



1. As to the Devil's walking about.



2. His walking without his Cloven-Foot.



3. The Cloven-Foot w lking about without the Devil.





Now as I study Brevity, and yet would be understood too, you may please

to understand me as I understand my self, thus.



1. That I must be allow'd to suppose the Devil really has a full

Intercourse in, and through, and about this Globe, with Egress and

Regress, for the carrying on his special Affairs, when, how, and

where, to his Majesty, in his great Wisdom, it shall seem meet;

that sometimes he appears and becomes visible, and that, like a

Mastiff without his Clog, he does not always carry his Cloven-Foot

with him. This will necessarily bring me to some Debate upon the

most important Question of Apparitions, Hauntings, Walkings, &c.

whether of Satan in human Shape, or of human Creatures in the

Devil's Shape, or in any other manner whatsoever.



2. I must also be allow'd to tell you that Satan has a great deal

of Wrong done him by the general embracing vulgar Errors, and that

there is a Cloven-Foot oftentimes without a Devil; or, in short,

that Satan is not guilty of all the simple Things, no, or of all

the wicked Things we charge him with.





These two Heads well settled will fully explain the Title of this

Chapter, answer the Query mentioned in it, and at the same time

correspond very well with, and give us a farther Prospect into the main

and original Design of this Work, namely, The History of the Devil. We

are so fond of, and pleased with the general Notion of seeing the

Devil, that I am loth to disoblige my Readers so much as calling in

question his Visibility would do. Nor is it my Business, any more than

it is his, to undeceive them, where the Belief is so agreeable to them;

especially since upon the whole 'tis not one Farthing matter, either on

one Side or on the other, whether it be so or no, or whether the Truth

of Fact be ever discovered or not.



Certain it is, whether we see him or no, here he is, and I make no doubt

but he is looking on while I am writing this Part of his Story, whether

behind me, or at my Elbow, or over my Shoulder, is not material to me,

nor have I once turned my Head about to see whether he is there or no;

for if he be not in the Inside, I have so mean an Opinion of all his

extravasated Powers, that it seems of very little Consequence to me what

Shape he takes up, or in what Posture he appears; nor indeed can I find

in all my Enquiry that ever the Devil appear'd (Qua Devil) in any

of the most dangerous or important of his Designs in the World; the most

of his Projects, especially of the significant Part of them, having been

carried on another way.



However, as I am satisfied no Body will be pleas'd if I should dispute

the Reality of his Appearance, and the World runs away with it as a

receiv'd Point, and that admits no Dispute, I shall most readily grant

the General, and give you some Account of the Particulars.



History is fruitful of Particulars, whether Invention has supply'd them

or not, I will not say, where the Devil is brought upon the Stage in

plain and undeniable Apparition: The Story of Samuel being rais'd by

the Witch of Endor, I shall leave quite out of my List, because there

are so many Scruples and Objections against that Story; and as I shall

not dispute with the Scripture, so on the other hand, I have so much

Deference for the Dignity of the Devil, as not to determine rashly how

far it may be in the Power of every old (Witch) Woman, to call him up

whenever she pleases, and that he must come, whatever the Pretence is,

or whatever Business of Consequence he may be engaged in, as often as

'tis needful for her to Pa wa for half a Crown, or perhaps less than

half the Money.



Nor will I undertake to tell you, till I have talk'd farther with him

about it, how far the Devil is concern'd to discover Frauds, detect

Murthers, reveal Secrets, and especially to tell where any Money is hid,

and shew Folks where to find it; 'tis an odd thing that Satan should

think it of Consequence to come and tell us where such a Miser hid a

Strong Box, or where such an old Woman buried her Chamber Pot full of

Money, the Value of all which is perhaps but a Trifle, when at the same

time he lets so many Veins of Gold, so many unexhausted Mines, nay,

Mountains of Silver, as, we may depend upon it, are hid in the Bowels of

the Earth, and which it would be so much to the Good of whole Nations to

discover, lie still there, and never say one Word of them to any Body.

Besides, how does the Devil's doing Things so foreign to himself, and

so out of his way, agree with the rest of his Character; namely, shewing

a kind of a friendly Disposition to Mankind, or doing beneficent Things?

This is so beneath Satan's Quality, and looks so little, that I scarce

know what to say to it; but that which is still more pungent in the Case

is, these Things are so out of his Road, and so foreign to his Calling,

that it shocks our Faith in them, and seems to clash with all the just

Notions we have of him, and of his Business in the World. The like is to

be said of those little merry Turns we bring him in acting with us, and

upon us, upon trifling and simple Occasions, such as tumbling Chairs and

Stools about House, setting Pots and Vessels Bottom upward, tossing the

Glass and Crokery Ware about without breaking; and such like mean

foolish Things, beneath the Dignity of the Devil, who, in my Opinion,

is rather employ'd in setting the World with the Bottom upward, tumbling

Kings and Crowns about, and dashing the Nations one against another;

raising Tempests and Storms, whether at Sea, or on Shore; and, in a

word, doing capital Mischiefs suitable to his Nature, and agreeable to

his Name, Devil; and suited to that Circumstance of his Condition,

which I have fully represented in the primitive Part of his exil'd

State.



But to bring in the Devil playing at Push-pin with the World, or like

Domitian catching Flies, that is to say, doing nothing to the

purpose; this is not only deluding our selves, but putting a Slur upon

the Devil himself; and, I say, I shall not dishonour Satan so much as

to suppose any thing in it: However, as I must have a care too how I

take away the proper Materials of Winter Evening Frippery, and leave the

good Wives nothing of the Devil to fright the Children with, I shall

carry the weighty Point no farther. No doubt the Devil and Dr.

Faustus were very intimate; I should rob you of a very significant [6]

Proverb, if I should so much as doubt it; no doubt the Devil shew'd

himself in the Glass to that fair Lady who look'd in it to see where to

place her Patches; but then it should follow too that the Devil is an

Enemy to the Ladies wearing Patches, and that has some Difficulties in

it which we cannot so easily reconcile; but we must tell the Story, and

leave out the Consequences.



But to come to more remarkable Things, and in which the Devil has

thought fit to act in a Figure more suitable to his Dignity, and on

Occasions consistent with himself; take the Story of the Appearance of

Julius Caesar, or the Devil assuming that murthered Emperor, to the

great Marcus Brutus, who notwithstanding all the good Things said to

justify it, was no less than a King-killer and an Assassinator, which we

in our Language call by a very good Name, and peculiar to the English

Tongue, a Ruffian.



The Spectre had certainly the Appearance of Caesar, with his Wounds

bleeding fresh, as if he had just receiv'd the fatal Blow; he had

reproach'd him with his Ingratitude, with a Tu Brute! tu quoque, mi

fili: "What Thou Brutus! Thou, my adopted Son!" Now History seems

to agree universally, not only in the Story itself, but in the

Circumstances of it; we have only to observe that the Devil had

certainly Power to assume, not a human Shape only, but the Shape of

Julius Caesar in particular.



Had Brutus been a timorous Conscience-harry'd, weak-headed Wretch,

had he been under the Horror of the Guilt, and terrify'd with the

Dangers that were before him at that time, we might suggest that he was

over-run with the Vapours, that the Terrors which were upon his Mind

disorder'd him, that his Head was delirious and prepossess'd, and that

his Fancy only plac'd Caesar so continually in his Eye, that it

realiz'd him to his Imagination, and he believ'd he saw him; with many

other suggested Difficulties to invalidate the Story, and render the

Reality of it doubtful.



But the contrary, to an Extreme, was the Case of Brutus; his known

Character plac'd him above the Power of all Hypocondriacks, or fanciful

Delusions; Brutus was of a true Roman Spirit, a bold Hero, of an

intrepid Courage; one that scorn'd to fear even the Devil, as the

Story allows: Besides, he glory'd in the Action; there cou'd be no

Terror of Mind upon him; he valued himself upon it, as done in the

Service of Liberty, and the Cause of his Country; and was so far from

being frighted at the Devil in the worst Shape, that he spoke first to

him, and ask'd him, What art thou? and when he was cited to see him

again at Philippi, answer'd, with a Gallantry that knew no Fear, well

I will see thee there. Whatever the Devil's Business was with

Brutus, this is certain, according to all the Historians who give us

the Account of it, that Brutus discover'd no Fear; he did not, like

Saul at Endor, fall to the Ground in a Swoon, 1 Sam. xxviii. 20.

Then Saul fell all along upon the Earth, and there was no Strength in

him, and was sore afraid. In a word, I see no room to charge Brutus

with being over-run with the Hyppo, or with Vapours, or with Fright

and Terror of Mind; but he saw the Devil, that's certain, and with

Eyes open, his Courage not at all daunted, his Mind resolute, and with

the utmost Composure spoke to him, reply'd to his Answer, and defy'd his

Summons to Death, which indeed he fear'd not, as appear'd afterward.



I come next to an Instance as eminent in History as the other; this was

in Char. VI. of France, sirnamed, The Beloved; who riding over the

Forest near Mans, a ghastly frightful Fellow (that is to say, the

Devil so clothed in human Vizor) came up to his Horse, and taking hold

of his Bridle, stop'd him, with the Addition of these Words, Stop King,

whither go you? You are betray'd! and immediately disappear'd. It is

true, the King had been distemper'd in his Head before, and so he might

have been deceived, and we might have charg'd it to the Account of a

whimsical Brain, or the Power of his Imagination; but this was in the

Face of his Attendants, several of his great Officers, Courtiers, and

Princes of the Blood being with him, who all saw the Man, heard the

Words, and immediately, to their Astonishment, lost Sight of the

Spectre, who vanish'd from them all.



Two Witnesses will convict a Murtherer, why not a Traitor? This must be

the Old Gentleman, emblematically so called, or who must it be? nay,

who else could it be? His Ugliness is not the Case, tho' ugly as the

Devil, is a Proverb in his Favour; but vanishing out of sight is an

Essential to a Spirit, and to an evil Spirit in our Times especially.



These are some of the Devil's Extraordinaries, and it must be

confess'd they are not the most agreeable to Mankind, for sometimes he

takes upon him to disorder his Friends very much on these Occasions, as

in the above Case of Cha. VI. of France; the King, they say, was

really demented ever after; that is, as we vulgarly, but not always

improperly, express it, he was really frighted out of his Wits.

Whether the malicious Devil intended it so, or not, is not certain,

tho' it was not so foreign to his particular Disposition if he did.



But where he is more intimate, we are told he appears in a manner less

disagreeable, and there he is more properly a familiar Spirit; that

is, in short, a Devil of their Acquaintance: It is true, the Antients

understand the Word, a familiar Spirit, to be one of the kinds of

Possession; but if it serves our turn as well under the Denomination of

an intimate Devil, or a Devil visitant, it must be acknowledg'd to

be as near in the literal Sense and Acceptation of the Word, as the

other; nay, it must be allow'd 'tis a very great Piece of Familiarity in

the Devil to make Visits, and shew none of his Disagreeables, not

appear formidable, or in the Shape of what he is, respectfully

withholding his dismal Part, in Compassion to the Infirmities of his

Friends.



It is true, Satan may be oblig'd to make different Appearances, as the

several Circumstances of Things call for it; in some Cases he makes his

publick Entry, and then he must shew himself in his Habit of Ceremony;

in other Cases he comes upon private Business, and then he appears in

Disguise; in some publick Cases he may thing fit to be incog. and then

he appears dress'd a la Masque; so they say he appear'd at the famous

St. Bartholomew Wedding at Paris, where, he came in dress'd up like

a Trumpeter, danc'd in his Habit, sounded a Levet, and then went out

and rung the Alarm-Bell (which was the Signal to begin the Massacre)

half an Hour before the Time appointed, lest the King's Mind should

alter, and his Heart fail him.



If the Story be not made upon him, (for we should not slander the

Devil) it should seem, he was not thoroughly satisfied in King

Charles IX.'s Steadiness in his Cause; for the King, it seems, had

relax'd a little once before, and Satan might be afraid he would fall

off again, and so prevent the Execution: Others say, the King did relent

immediately after the ringing the Alarm-Bell, but that then it was too

late, the Work was begun, and the Rage of Blood having been let loose

among the People, there was no recalling the Order. If the Devil was

thus brought to the Necessity of a secret Management, it must be owned

he did it dexterously; but I have not Authority enough for the Story, to

charge him with the Particulars, so I leave it au croc.



I have much better Vouchers for the Story following, which I had so

solemnly confirm'd by one that liv'd in the Family, that I never doubted

the Truth of it. There liv'd, in the Parish of St. Bennet Fynk, near

the Royal Exchange, an honest poor Widow Woman, who, her Husband

being lately dead, took Lodgers into her House; that is, she let out

some of her Rooms in order to lessen her own Charge of Rent; among the

rest, she let her Garrets to a working Watchwheel-maker, or one some way

concern'd in making the Movements of Watches, and who work'd to those

Shop-keepers who sell Watches; as is usual.



It happened that a Man and Woman went up, to speak with this

Movement-maker upon some Business which related to his Trade, and when

they were near the Top of the Stairs, the Garret-Door where he usually

worked being wide open, they saw the poor Man (the Watch-maker, or

Wheel-maker) had hang'd himself upon a Beam which was left open in the

Room a little lower than the Plaister, or Ceiling: Surpriz'd at the

Sight, the Woman stop'd, and cried out to the Man who was behind her on

the Stairs that he should run up, and cut the poor Creature down.



At that very Moment comes a Man hastily from another Part of the Room

which they upon the Stairs could not see, bringing a Joint-Stool in his

Hand, as if in great Haste, and sets it down just by the Wretch that was

hang'd, and getting up as hastily upon it pulls a Knife out of his

Pocket, and taking hold of the Rope with one of his Hands, beckon'd to

the Woman and the Man behind her with his Head, as if to stop and not

come up, shewing them the Knife in his other Hand, as if he was just

going to cut the poor Man down.



Upon this, the Woman stopp'd a while, but the Man who stood on the

Joint-Stool continued with his Hand and Knife as if fumbling at the

Knot, but did not yet cut the Man down; at which the Woman cried out

again, and the Man behind her call'd to her. Go up, says he, and help

the Man upon the Stool! supposing something hindred. But the Man upon

the Stool made Signs to them again to be quiet, and not come on, as if

saying, I shall do it immediately; then he made two Strokes with his

Knife, as if cutting the Rope, and then stopp'd again; and still the

poor Man was hanging, and consequently dying: Upon this, the Woman on

the Stairs cried out to him. What ails you? Why don't you cut the poor

Man down? And the Man behind her, having no more Patience, thrusts her

by, and said to her. Let me come, I'll warrant you I'll do it; and with

that runs up and forward into the Room to the Man; but when he came

there, behold, the poor Man was there hanging; but no Man with a Knife,

or Joint-Stool, or any such thing to be seen, all that was Spectre and

Delusion, in order, no doubt, to let the poor Creature that had hang'd

himself perish and expire.



The Man was so frighted and surpriz'd, that with all the Courage he had

before, he drop'd on the Floor as one dead, and the Woman at last was

fain to cut the poor Man down with a Pair of Scissars, and had much to

do to effect it.



As I have no room to doubt the Truth of this Story, which I had from

Persons on whose Honesty I could depend. So I think it needs very little

Trouble to convince us who the Man upon the Stool must be, and that it

was the Devil who plac'd himself there in order to finish the Murther

of the Man who he had, Devil-like, tempted before, and prevail'd with

to be his own Executioner. Besides, it corresponds so well with the

Devil's Nature, and with his Business, viz. that of a Murtherer,

that I never question'd it; nor can I think we wrong the Devil at all

to charge him with it.



N. B. I cannot be positive in the remaining Part of this Story,

viz. whether the Man was cut down soon enough to be recover'd,

or whether the Devil carry'd his Point, and kept off the Man and

Woman till it was too late; but be it which it will, 'tis plain he

did his Devilish Endeavour, and stay'd till he was forc'd to

abscond again.





We have many solid Tales well attested, as well in History as in the

Reports of honest People, who could not be deceived, intimating the

Devil's personal Appearance, some in one Place, some in another; as

also sometimes in one Habit or Dress, and sometimes in another; and it

is to be observed, that in none of those which are most like to be real,

and in which there is least of Fancy and Vapour, you have any Mention of

the Cloven Foot, which rather seems to be a mere Invention of Men (and

perhaps chiefly of those who had a Cloven Understanding) I mean a

shallow kind of Craft, the Effect of an empty and simple Head, thinking

by such a well-meant, tho' weak Fraud, to represent the Devil to the

old Women and Children of the Age, with some Addition suitable to the

Weakness of their Intellects, and suited to making them afraid of him.



I have another Account of a Person who travell'd upwards of four Years

with the Devil in his Company, and convers'd most intimately with him

all the while; nay, if I may believe the Story, he knew most part of the

Time that he was the Devil, and yet convers'd with him, and that very

profitably, for he perform'd many very useful Services for him, and

constantly preserv'd him from the Danger of Wolves and wild Beasts,

which the Country he travell'd thro' was intolerably full of. Where, by

the way, you are to understand, that the Wolves and Bears in those

Countries knew the Devil, whatever Disguise he went in; or that the

Devil has some Way to fright Bears and such Creatures, more than we

know of. Nor could this Devil ever be prevail'd upon to hurt him or

any of his Company. This Account has an innumerable Number of diverting

Incidents attending it; but they are equal to all the rest in Bulk, and

therefore too long for this Book.



I find too upon some more ordinary Occasions the Devil has appear'd to

several People at their Call: This indeed shews abundance of good Humour

in him, considering him as a Devil, and that he was mighty

complaisant: Nay some, they tell us, have a Power to raise the Devil

whenever they think fit; this I cannot bring the Devil to a Level

with, unless I should allow him to be Servus Servorum, as another

Devil in Disguise calls himself; subjected to ever old Wizard's Call;

or that he is under a Necessity of appearing on such or such particular

Occasions, whoever it is that calls him; which would bring the Devil's

Circumstances to a pitch of Slavery which I see no Reason to believe of

them.



Here also I must take Notice again, that tho' I say the Devil, when I

speak of all these Apparitions, whether of a greater or lesser Kind, yet

I am not oblig'd to suppose Satan himself in Person is concern'd to shew

himself, but that some of his Agents, Deputies and Servants, are sent

to that Purpose, and directed what Disguise of Flesh and Blood to put

on, as may be suitable to the Occasion.



This seems to be the only Way to reconcile all those simple and

ridiculous Appearances which not Satan, but his Emissaries, (which we

old Women call Imps) sometimes make, and the mean and sorry Employment

they are put to: Thus Fame tells us of a certain Witch of Quality, who

call'd the Devil once to carry her over a Brook where the Water was

swell'd with a hasty Rain, and lash'd him soundly with her Whip for

letting her Ladyship fall into the Water before she was quite over. Thus

also, as Fame tells us, she set the Devil to work, and made him build

Crowland Abbey, where there was no Foundation to be found, only for

disturbing the Workmen a little who were first set about it. So it

seems another laborious Devil was oblig'd to dig the great Ditch cross

the Country from the Fenn Country to the Edge of Suffolk and Essex;

which who ever he has preserv'd the Reputation of, and where it crosses

New-Market Heath, 'tis call'd Devil's Ditch to this Day.



Another Piece of Punishment no doubt it was, when the Devil was

oblig'd to bring the Stones out of Wales into Wiltshire, to build

Stone-heng: How this was ordered in those Days, when it seems they

kept Satan to hard Labour, I know not; I believe it must be registred

among the antient Pieces of Art which are lost in the World, such as

melting of Stone, painting of Glass, &c. Certainly they had the

Devil under Correction in those Days; that is to say, those lesser

Sorts of Devils; but I cannot think that the muckle Thief Devil, as

they call him in the North, the Grand Seignior Devil of all, was

ever reduced to Discipline. What Devil it was that Dunstan took by

the Nose with his red hot Tongs, I have not yet examin'd Antiquity

enough to be certain of, any more than I can what Devil it was that St.

Francis play'd so many warm Tricks with, and made him run away from

him so often: However, this I take upon me to say, in the Devil's

Behalf, that it cou'd not be our Satan, the Arch Devil of all

Devils, of whom I have been talking so long.



Now is it unworthy the Occasion, to take notice that we really wrong the

Devil, and speak of him very much to his Disadvantage, when we say of

such a Great Lord, or of such a Lady of Quality, I think the Devil is

in your Grace: No, no, Satan has other Business, he very rarely

possesses F--ls: Besides, some are so far from having the Devil in

them, that they are really transmigrated into the very Essence of the

Devil themselves; and others again not transmigrated, or assimilated,

but Indeed and in Truth shew us that they are to have mere native

Devils in every Part and Parcel of them, and that the rest is only

Masque and Disguise. Thus if Rage, Envy, Pride and Revenge can

constitute the Parts of a Devil, why should not a Lady of such

Quality, in whom all those Extraordinaries abound, have a Right to the

Title of being a Devil really and substantially, and to all Intents

and Purposes, in the most perfect and absolute Sense, according to the

most exquisite Descriptions of Devils already given by me or any Body

else; and even just as Joan of Arc, or Joan Queen of Naples

were, who were both sent home to their native Country, as soon as it was

discovered that they were real Devils, and that Satan acknowledg'd

them in that Quality.



Nor does my Lady D----ss's wearing sometimes a Case of Humanity about

her, call'd Flesh and Blood, at all alter the Case; for so 'tis

Evident, according to our present Hypothesis, Satan has been always

allow'd to do, upon urgent Occasions; ay, and to make his Personal

Appearance as such, among even the Sons and Daughters of God too, as

well as among the Children of Men; and therefore her Grace may have

appeared in the Shape of a fine Lady, as long as she has been suppos'd

to do, without any Impeachment of her just Claim to the Title of

Devil; which being her true and natural Original, she ought not, nor

indeed shall not, by me, be denied her Shapes of Honour, whenever she

pleases to declare for a Re-assumption.




thought so strange; and is far from being unjust; her Grace (as she,

it may be, is now stiled) has not acted, at least that I never heard of,

so unworthy her great and illustrious Original, that we should think she

has lost any thing by walking about the World so many Years in

Apparition: But to give her the due Homage of her Quality, she has acted

as consonant to the Essence and Nature of Devil, which she has such a

Claim to, as was consistent with the needful Reserve of her present

Disguise.



Nor shall we lead the Reader into any Mistake concerning this part of

our Work, as if this was or is meant to be a particular Satyr upon the

D-----ss of -----------, and upon her only, as if we had no DEVILS among

us in the Phenomena of fair Ladies, but this one: If Satan would be so

honest to us as he might be (and 'twou'd be very ingenuous in him, that

must be acknowledg'd, to give us a little of his Illumination in this

Case) we should soon be able to unmasque a great many notable Figures

among us, to our real Surprize.



Indeed 'tis a Point worth our further Enquiry, and would be a Discovery

many ways to our Advantage, were we bless'd with it, to see how many

real Devils we have walking up and down the World in Masque, and how

many Hoop-Petticoats compleat the entire Masque that disguises the Devil

in the Shape of that Thing call'd Woman.



As for the Men, Nature has satisfied her self in letting them be their

own Disguise, and in suffering them to act the old Women, as old Women

are vulgarly understood, in Matters of Council and Politicks; but if at

any time they have Occasion for the Devil in Person, they are oblig'd

to call him to their Aid in such Shape as he pleases to make use of pro

hac vice; and of all those Shapes, the most agreeable to him seems to

be that of a Female of Quality, in which he has infinite Opportunity to

act to Perfection, what Part soever he is call'd in for.



How happy are those People who they say have the particular Quality, or

acquir'd Habit, call'd the Second Sight; one Sort of whom they tell us

are able to distinguish the Devil, in whatever Case or Outside of

Flesh and Blood he is pleas'd to put on, and consequently could know the

Devil wherever they met him? Were I blest with this excellent and

useful Accomplishment, how pleasant would it be, and how would it

particularly gratify my Spleen, and all that which I, in common with my

fellow Creatures carry about me, call'd Ill-Nature, to stand in the

Mall, or at the Entrance to any of our Assemblies of Beauties, and

point them out as they pass by, with this particular Mark, That's a

Devil; that fine young Toast is a Devil; There's a Devil drest in

a new Habit for the Ball; There's a Devil in a Coach and Six, cum

aliis. In short, it would make a merry World among us if we cou'd but

enter upon some proper Method of such Discriminations: but, Lawr'd,

what a Hurricane would it raise, if, like -------, who they say scourg'd

the Devil so often that he durst not come near him in any Shape

whatever, we cou'd find some new Method out to make the Devil unmask,

like the Angel Uriel, who, Mr. Milton says, had an enchanted Spear,

with which if he did but touch the Devil, in whatever Disguise he had

put on, it oblig'd him immediately to start up, and shew himself in his

true original Shape, mere Devil as he was.



This would do nicely, and as I who am originally a Projector, have spent

some Time upon this Study, and doubt not in a little Time to finish my

Engine, which I am contriving, to screw the Devil out of every Body,

or any Body; I question not when I have brought it to Perfection, but I

shall make most excellent Discoveries by it; and besides the many

extraordinary Advantages of it to human Society, I doubt not but it will

make good Sport in the World too; wherefore, when I publish my

Proposals, and divide it into Shares, as other less useful Projects have

been done, I question not, for all the severe Act lately pass'd against

Bubbles, but I shall get Subscribers enough, &c.



In a Word, a secret Power of discovering what Devils we have among us,

and where and what Business they are doing, would be a vast Advantage to

us all; that we might know among the Crowd of Devils that walk about

Streets, who are Apparitions, and who are not.



Now I, you must know, at certain Intervals when the Old Gentleman's

Illuminations are upon me, and when I have something of an

Eclaricissement with him, have some Degrees of this discriminating

Second Sight, and therefore 'tis no strange thing for me to tell a

great many of my Acquaintance that they are really Devils, when they

themselves know nothing of the Matter: Sometimes indeed I find it pretty

hard to convince them of it, or at least they are very unwilling to own

it, but it is not the less so for that.



I had a long Discourse upon this Subject one day, with a young beautiful

Lady of my Acquaintance, who the World very much admired; and as the

World judges no farther than they can see, (and how should they, you

would say) they took her to be, as she really was, a most charming

Creature.



To me indeed she discover'd her self many Ways, besides the Advantage I

had of my extraordinary Penetration by the magic Powers which I am

vested with: To me, I say, she appear'd a Fury, a Satyr, a fiery

little Fiend as could possibly be dress'd up in Flesh; in short, she

appear'd to me what really she was, a very DEVIL: It is natural to human

Creatures to desire to discover any extraordinary Powers they are

possess'd of superior to others, and this Itch prevailing in me, among

the rest, I was impatient to let this Lady know that I understood her

Composition perfectly well, nay, as well as she did her self.



In order to this, happening to be in the Family once for some Days, and

having the Honour to be very intimate with her and her Husband too, I

took an Opportunity on an extraordinary Occasion, when she was in the

Height of good Humour, to talk with her; You must note, that as I said,

the Lady was in an extraordinary good Humour, and there had been a great

deal of Mirth in the Family for some Days; but one Evening, Sir E----

her Husband, upon some very sharp Turn she gave to another Gentleman,

which made all the Company pleasant, run to her, and with a Passion of

good Humour takes her in his Arms, and turning to me, says he, Jack,

This Wife of mine is full of Wit and good Humour, but when she has a

Mind to be smart, she is the keenest little Devil in the World: This

was alluding to the quick Turn she had given the other Gentleman.



Is that the best Language you can give your Wife, says my Lady? O Madam,

says I, such Devils as you, are all Angels; ay, ay, says my Lady, I

know that, he has only let a Truth fly out that he does not understand:

Look ye there now, says Sir Edward, could any thing but such a dear

Devil as this have said a thing so pointed? Well, well, adds he,

Devil to a Lady in a Man's Arms, is a Word of divers Interpretations.

Thus they rallied for a good while, he holding her fast all the while in

his Arms, and frequently kissing her, and at last it went off, all in

Sunshine and Mirth.



But the next Day, for I had the Honour to lodge in the Lady's Father's

House, where it all happen'd; I say, the next Day my Lady begins with me

upon the Subject, and that very smartly, so that first I did not know

whether she was in jest or earnest: Ay, ay, says she, you Men make

nothing of your Wives after you have them, alluding to the Discourse

with Sir Edward the Night before.



Why Madam, says I, we Men, as you are pleas'd to term it, if we meet

with good Wives worship them, and make Idols of them, what would you

have more of us?



No, no, says she, before you have them they are Angels, but when you

have been in Heaven, adds she and smil'd, then they are Devils.



Why Madam, says I, Devils are Angels, you know, and were the highest

Sort of Angels once.



Yes, says she, very smartly, all Devils are Angels, but all Angels

are not Devils.



But Madam, says I, you should never take it ill to be call'd Devil,

you know.



I know, says she, hastily, what d'ye mean by that?



Why Madam, says I, and look'd very gravely and serious, I thought you

had known that I knew it, or else I would not have said so, for I would

not offend you; but you may depend I shall never discover it, unless you

order me to do so for your particular Service.



Upon this she look'd hard and wild, and bid me explain my self.



I told her, I was ready to explain my self, if she would give me her

Word, she would not resent it, and would take nothing ill.



She gave me her word solemnly she would not, tho' like a true Devil

she broke her Promise with me all at once.



Well however, being unconcern'd whether she kept her Word or no, I

began, by telling her that I had not long since obtain'd the second

sight, and had some years studied Magic, by which I could penetrate into

many things, which to ordinary Perception were invisible, and had some

Glasses, by the Help of which I could see into all visionary or

imaginary Appearances in a different Manner than other People did.



Very well, says she, suppose you can, what's that to me?



I told her it was nothing to her any further than that as she knew her

self to be originally not the same Creature she seem'd to be, but was of

a sublime angelic Original; so by the Help of my recited Art I knew it

too, and so far it might relate to her.



Very fine, says she, so you would make a Devil of me indeed.



I took that Occasion to tell her, I would make nothing of her but what

she was; that I suppos'd she knew well enough God Almighty never thought

fit to make any human Creature so perfect and compleatly beautiful as

she was, but that such were also reserved for Figures to be assum'd by

Angels of one Kind or other.



She rallied me upon that, and told me that would not bring me off, for I

had not determined her for any thing Angelic, but a meer Devil; and

how could I flatter her with being handsome and a Devil both at the

same time?



I told her, as Satan, whom we abusively call'd Devil, was an immortal

Seraph, and of an original angelic Nature, so abstracted from any thing

wicked, he was a most glorious Being; that when he thought fit to encase

himself with Flesh, and walk about in Disguise, it was in his Power

equally with the other Angels to make the Form he took upon himself be

as he thought fit, beautiful or deform'd.



Here she disputed the Possibility of that, and after charging me faintly

with flattering her Face, told me the Devil could not be represented by

any thing handsome, alledging our constant picturing the Devil in all

the frightful Appearances imaginable.



I told her we wrong'd him very much in that, and quoted St. Francis,

to whom the Devil frequently appeared in the Form of the most

incomparably beautiful naked Woman, to allure him, and what Means he

used to turn the Appearance into a Devil again, and how he effected

it.



She put by the Discourse, and returned to that of Angels, and insisted

that Angels did not always assume beautiful Appearances; that sometimes

they appear'd in terrible Shapes, but that when they did not, it was at

best only amiable Faces, not exquisite; and that therefore it would not

hold, that to be handsome, should always render them suspected.



I told her the Devil had more Occasion to form Beauties than other

Angels had, his Business being principally to deceive and ensnare

Mankind. And then I gave her some Examples upon the whole.



I found by her Discourse she was willing enough to pass for an Angel,

but 'twas the hardest thing in the World to convince her that she was a

DEVIL, and she would not come into that by any means; she argued that I

knew her Father, and that her Mother was a very good Woman, and was

delivered of her in the ordinary Way, and that there was such and such

Ladies who were present in the Room when she was born, and that had

often told her so.



I told her that was nothing in such a Case as hers; that when the Old

Gentleman had occasion to transform himself into a fine Lady, he could

easily dispose of a Child, and place himself in the Cradle instead of

it, when the Nurse or Mother were asleep; nay, or when they were broad

awake either, it was the same thing to him; and I quoted Luther to her

upon that Occasion, who affirms that it had been so. However I said, to

convince her that I knew it, (for I would have it that she knew it

already) if she pleas'd I would go to my Chamber and fetch her my Magick

Looking-glass, where she should see her own Picture, not only as it was

an angelick Picture for the World to admire, but a Devil also

frightful enough to any Body but herself and me that understood it.



No, no, said she, I'll look in none of your conjuring Glasses; I know

my self well enough, and I desire to look no otherwise than I am.



No, Madam, says I, I know that very well; nor do you need any better

Shape than that you appear in, 'tis most exquisitely fine; all the World

knows you are a compleat Beauty, and that is a clear Evidence what you

would be if your present appearing Form was reduced to its proper

Personality.



Appearing Form! says she, why, what would you make an Apparition of

me?



An Apparition! Madam, said I, yes, to be sure; why you know, you are

nothing else but an Apparition; and what else would you be, when it is

so infinitely to your Advantage?



With that, she turn'd pale and angry, and then rose up hastily, and

look'd into the Glass, (a large Peer-glass being in the Room) where

she stood, surveying her self from Head to Foot, with Vanity not a

little.



I took that Time to slip away, and running up into my Apartment, I

fetch'd my Magic Glass as I call'd it, in which I had a hollow

Case so framed behind a Looking-glass, that in the first; she would

see her own Face only; in the second, she would see the Devil's

Face, ugly and frightful enough, but dress'd up with a Lady's

Head-Clothes in a Circle, the Devil's Face in the Center, and as

it were at a little Distance behind.





I came down again so soon that she did not think the Time long,

especially having spent it in surveying her fair self; when I return'd,

I said, Come, Madam, do not trouble your self to look there, that is not

a Glass capable of shewing you any thing; come, take this Glass.



It will shew me as much of my self, says she, a little scornfully, as

I desire to see; so she continued looking in the Peer-glass; after some

time more (for seeing her a little out of Humour, I waited to see what

Observations she would make) I ask'd her if she had view'd her self to

her Satisfaction? She said she had, and she had seen nothing of Devil

about her. Come, Madam, said I, look here; and with that I open'd the

Looking-glass, and she look'd in it, but saw nothing but her own Face;

Well, says she, the Glasses agree well enough, I see no Difference;

what can you make of it? With that I took it a little away; Don't you?

says I, then I shou'd be mistaken very much; so I look'd in it my

self, and giving it a Turn imperceptible to her, I shew'd it her again,

where she saw the Devil indeed, dress'd up like a fine Lady, but

ugly, and Devil like as could be desired for a Devil to be.



She started, and cry'd out most horribly, and told me, she thought I was

more of a Devil than she, for that she knew nothing of all those

Tricks, and I did it to fright her, she believ'd I had rais'd the

Devil.



I told her it was nothing but her own natural Picture, and that she knew

well enough, and that I did not shew it her to inform her of it, but to

let her know that I knew it too; that so she might make no Pretences of

being offended when I talk'd familiarly to her of a Thing of this

Nature.



Very well; so, says she, I am a real frightful Devil, am I?



O, Madam, says I, don't say, Am I? why you know what you are, don't

you? A Devil! ay, certainly; as sure as the rest of the World believes

you a Lady.



I had a great deal of farther Discourse with her upon that Subject, tho'

she would fain have beat me off of it, and two or three times she put

the Talk off, and brought something else on; but I always found Means to

revive it, and to attack her upon the Reality of her being a Devil, till

at last I made her downright angry, and then she shew'd it.



First she cried, told me I came to affront her, that I would not talk so

if Sir Ed---- was by; and that she ought not to be used so. I

endeavour'd to pacify her, and told her I had not treated her with any

Indecency, nor I would not; because while she thought fit to walk Abroad

incog. it was none of my Business to discover her; that if she thought

fit to tell Sir Ed---- any thing of the Discourse, she was very

welcome, or to conceal it, (which I thought the wisest Course) she

should do just as she pleas'd; but I made no question I should convince

Sir E---- her Husband, that what I said was just, and that I was

really so; whether it was for her Service or no for him to know it, was

for her to consider.



This calm'd her a little, and she look'd hard at me a Minute without

speaking a Word, when on a sudden she broke out thus: And you will

undertake, says she, to convince Sir Ed---- that he has married a

Devil, will ye? A fine Story indeed! and what follows? why then it

must follow that the Child I go with (for she was big with Child) will

be a Devil too, will it? A fine Story for Sir Ed---- indeed! isn't

it?



I don't know that, Madam, said I, that's as you order it; by the

Father's Side, said I, I know it will not, but what it may by the

Mother's Side, that's a Doubt I can't resolve till the Devil and I

talk farther about it.



You and the Devil talk together! says she, and looks rufully at me;

why do you talk with the Devil then?



Ay, Madam, says I, as sure as ever you did your self; besides, said I,

can you question that? Pray who am I talking to now?



I think you are mad, says she; why you will make Devils of all the

Family, it may be, and particularly I must be with Child of a Devil,

that's certain.



No, Madam, said I, 'tis not certain, as I said before, I question it.



Why you say I am the DEVIL, the Child, you know, has always most of the

Mother in it, then that must be a Devil too I think, what else can it

be, says she?



I can't tell that, Madam, said I; that's as you agree among your

selves, this Kind does not go by Generation; that's a Dispute foreign to

the present Purpose.



Then I entred into a Discourse with her of the Ends and Purposes for

which the Devil takes up such beautiful Forms as hers, and why it always

gave me a Suspicion when I saw a Lady handsomer than ordinary, and set

me upon the Search to be satisfied whether she was really a Woman or an

Apparition? a Lady or a Devil? allowing all along that her being a

Devil was quite out of the Question.



Upon that very Foot, she took me up again roundly, and so, says she,

you are very civil to me through all your Discourse, for I see it ends

all in that, and you take it as a thing confest, that I am a Devil! A

very pretty piece of good Usage indeed! says she; I thank you for

it.



Nay, Madam, says I, do not take it ill of me, for I only discover to

you that I knew it; I do not tell it you as a Secret, for you are

satisfied of that another way.



Satisfied of what? says she, that I am a Devil? I think the Devil's in

you: And so began to be hot.



A Devil! yes, Madam, says I, without doubt a meer DEVIL; take it as you

please, I can't help that: And so I began to take it ill that she should

be disgusted at opening such a well-known Truth to her.



With that she discover'd it all at once, for she turn'd Fury, in the

very Letter of it; flew out in a Passion, rail'd at me, curst me most

heartily, and immediately disappeared; which you know is the particular

Mark of a Spirit or Apparition.



We had a great deal of Discourse besides this, relating to several other

young Ladies of her Acquaintance, some of which, I said, were mere

Apparitions like her self; and told her which were so, and which not;

and the Reason why they were so, and for what Uses and Purposes, some

to delude the World one way, and some another; and she was pretty well

pleased to hear that, but she could not bear to hear her own true

Character, which however, as cunning as she was, made her act the Devil

at last, as you have heard; and then vanished out of my sight.



I have seen her in Miniature several Times since; but she proves her

self still to be the Devil of a Lady, for she bears Malice, and will

never forgive me, that I would not let her be an Angel; but like a very

Devil as she is, she endeavours to kill me at a Distance; and indeed the

Poison of her Eyes, (Basilisk-like) is very strong, and she has a

strange Influence upon me; but I that know her to be a Devil, strive

very hard with my self to drive the Memory of her out of my Thoughts.



I have had two or three Engagements since this, with other Apparitions

of the same Sex, and I find they are all alike, they are willing enough

to be thought Angels, but the Word Devil does not go down at all with

them: But 'tis all one, whenever we see an Apparition, it is so

natural to say we have seen the Devil, that there's no prevailing with

Mankind to talk any other Language. A Gentleman of my Acquaintance, the

other Day, that had courted a Lady a long time, had the Misfortune to

come a little suddenly upon her, when she did not expect him, and found

her in such a Rage at some of her Servants, that it quite disorder'd

her, especially a Footman; the Fellow had done something that was indeed

provoking, but not sufficient to put her into such a Passion, and so out

of her self; nor was she able to restrain her self when she saw her

Lover come in, but damn'd the Fellow, and rag'd like a Fury at him.



My Friend did his best to compose her, and begg'd the Fellow's Pardon of

her, but it would not do; nay, the poor Fellow made all the Submissions

that could be expected, but 'twas the same thing: And so the Gentleman,

not caring to engage himself farther than became him, withdrew, and came

no more at her for three Days, in all which time she was hardly cool.



The next Day my Friend came to me, and talking of it in Confidence to

me, I am afraid, says he, I am going to marry a She Devil, and so

told me the Story; I took no Notice to him, but finding out his

Mistress, and taking proper Measures, with some of my particular Skill,

I soon found out that it was really so, that she was a mere

Apparition; and had it not been for that accidental Disorder of her

Passions, which discover'd her Inside, she might indeed have cheated any

Man, for she was a lovely Devil as ever was seen; she talk'd like an

Angel, sung like a Syren, did every thing, and said every thing that was

taking and charming: But what then? it was all Apparition, for she was a

mere Devil. It is true, my Friend marry'd her, and tho' she was a

Devil without doubt, yet either she behav'd so well, or he was so

good, I never could hear him find Fault with her.



These are particular Instances; but alas! I could run you a Length

beyond all those Examples, and give you such a List of Devils among the

gay Things of the Town, that would fright you to think of; and you would

presently conclude, with me, that all the perfect Beauties are Devils,

mere Apparitions; but Time and Paper fails, so we must only leave the

Men the Caution, let them venture at their Peril. I return to the

Subject.



We have a great many charming Apparitions of like kind go daily about

the World in compleat Masquerade, and, tho' we must not say so, they are

in themselves mere Devils, wicked dangerous murthering Devils, that

kill various Ways, some, Basilisk-like, with their Eyes; some

Syren-like, with their Tongues; all Murtherers, even from the

Beginning: It is true, 'tis pity these pretty Apparitions should be

Devils, and be so mischievous as they are; but since it is so, I can do

no less than to advertise you of it, that you may shun the Devil in

whatever Shape you meet with him.



Again, there are some half Devils, they say, like the Sagittarii, half

Man, half Horse, or rather like the Satyr, who, they say, is half

Devil, half Man; or, like my Lord Bishop, who, they say, was

half-headed; whether they mean half-witted or no, I do not find Authors

agreed about it: But if they had voted him such, it had been as kind a

thing as any they cou'd say of him, because it would have clear'd him

from the Scandal of being a Devil, or half a Devil, for we don't find

the Devil makes any Alliance with F----ls.



Then as to merry Devils, there's my Master G------, he may indeed have

the Devil in him, but it must be said, to the Credit of Possession in

general, that Satan would have scorn'd to have entred into a Soul so

narrow that there was not room to hold him, or to take up with so

discording a Creature, so abject, so scoundrel, as never made a Figure

among Mankind greater than that of a Thief, a Moroder, moulded up into

Quality, and a Raparee dress'd up a-la-Masque, with a Robe and a

Coronet.



Some little Dog-kennel Devil may indeed take up his Quarters in or near

him, and so run into and out of him as his Drum beats a Call; but to

him that was born a Devil, Satan, that never acts to no purpose, cou'd

not think him worth being possess'd by any thing better than a Devil of

a dirty Quality; that is to say, a Spirit too mean to wear the Name of

Devil, without some Badge or Addition of Infamy and Meanness to

distinguish it by.



Thus what Devil of Quality would be confin'd to a P--------n, who

inheriting all the Pride and Insolence of his Ancestors, without one of

their good Qualities; the Bully, the Billingsgate, and all the

hereditary ill Language of his Family, without an Ounce of their

Courage; that has been rescued five or six times from the Scandal of a

Coward, by the Bravery, and at the Hazard of Friends, and never fail'd

to be ungrateful; that if ever he committed a Murther, did it in cold

Blood, because no body could prove he ever had any hot; who possess'd

with a Poltroon Devil, was always wickeder in the Dark, than he durst

be by Day-light; and who, after innumerable passive Sufferings, has been

turned out of human Society, because he could not be kick'd or cuff'd

either into good Manners or good Humour.



To say this was a Devil, an Apparition, or even a half Devil, would

be unkind to Satan himself, since tho' he (the Devil) has so many

Millions of inferior Devils under his Command, not one cou'd be found

base enough to match him, nor one Devil found but what would think

himself dishonour'd to be employ'd about him.



Some merry good-for-nothing Devils we have indeed, which we might, if

we had room, speak of at large, and divert you too with the Relation,

such as my Lady Hatt's Devil in Essex, who upon laying a Joiner's

Mallet in the Window of a certain Chamber, would come very orderly and

knock with it all Night upon the Window, or against the Wainscot, and

disturb the Neighbourhood, and then go away in the Morning, as well

satisfied as may be; whereas if the Mallet was not left, he would think

himself affronted, and be as unsufferable and terrifying as possible,

breaking the Windows, splitting the Wainscot, committing all the

Disorders, and doing all the Damage that he was able to the House, and

to the Goods in it. And again, such as the Druming Devil in the Well

at Oundle in Northamptonshire, and such like.



A great many antick Devils have been seen also, who seem'd to have

little or nothing to do, but only to assure us that they can appear if

they please, and that there is a Reality in the thing call'd Apparition.



As to Shadows of Devils, and imaginary Appearances, such as appear,

and yet are invisible at the same time, I had thought to have bestow'd a

Chapter upon them by themselves, but it may be as much to the Purpose to

let them alone, as to meddle with them; 'tis said our old Friend

Luther used to be exceedingly troubled with such invisible

Apparitions, and he tells us much of them, in what they call his

Table-talk; but with Master Luther's leave, tho' the Devil passes

for a very great Lyar, I could swallow many things of his own proper

making, as soon as some of those I find in a Book that goes by his Name,

particularly the Story of the Devil in a Basket, the Child flying out of

the Cradle, and the like.



In a word, the walking Devils that we have generally among us, are of

the female Sex; whether it be that the Devil finds less Difficulty to

manage them, or that he lives quieter with them, or that they are fitter

for his Business than the Men, I shall not now enter into a Dispute

about that; perhaps he goes better disguis'd in the fair Sex than

otherwise; Antiquity gives us many Histories of She-Devils, such as we

can very seldom match for Wickedness among the Men; such now as in the

Text, Lot's Daughters, Joseph's Mistress, Sampson's Dalilah,

Herod's Herodias, these were certainly Devils, or play'd the

Devil sufficiently in their Turn; one Male Apparition indeed the

Scripture furnishes you with, and that is Judas; for his Master says

expresly of him, One of you is a Devil; not has the Devil, or is

possess'd of the DEVIL; but really is a DEVIL, or is a real DEVIL.



How happy is it, that this great Secret comes thus to be discover'd to

mankind? Certainly the World has gone on in Ignorance a long time, and

at a strange rate, that we should have so many Devils continually

walking about among us in humane Shape, and we know it not.



Philosophers tell us that there is a World of Spirits, and many learned

Pieces of Guess-work they make at it, representing the World to be so

near us, that the Air, as they describe it, must be full of Dragons and

Devils, enough to fright our Imaginations with the very Thoughts of

them; and if they say true, 'tis our great Felicity that we cannot see

any farther into it than we do, which if we could, would appear as

frightful as Hell itself; but none of those Sages ever told us, till

now, that half the People who converse with us are Apparitions,

especially of the Women; and among them especially this valuable Part,

the Woman of Figure, the fair, the beautiful, or patch'd and painted.



This unusual Phaenomenon has been seen but a little while, and but a

little way, and the general Part of Mankind cannot come into the same

Notions about it; nay, perhaps they will all think it strange; but be

it as strange as it will, the Nature of the Thing confirms it, this

lower Sphere is full of Devils; and some of both Sexes have given

strange Testimonies of the Reality of their pre-existent Devilism for

many Ages past, tho' I think it never came to that Height as it has now.



It is true, in former times Satan dealt much in old Women, and those, as

I have observ'd already, very ugly, Ugly as a Witch, Black as a

Witch, I look like a Witch, all proverbial Speeches, and which

testify'd what Tools it was Satan generally work'd with; and these old

Spectres, they tell us, us'd to ride thro' the Air in the Night, and

upon Broomsticks too, all mighty homely Doings; some say they us'd to go

to visit their Grand Seignior the Devil, in those Nocturnal

Perambulations: But be that as it will, 'tis certain the Devil has

chang'd hands, and that now he walks about the World cloth'd in Beauty,

cover'd with the Charms of the Lovely, and he fails not to disguise

himself effectually by it, for who would think a beautiful Lady could be

a Masque to the Devil? and that a fine Face, a divine Shape, a heavenly

Aspect, should bring the Devil in her Company, nay, should be herself

an Apparition, a mere DEVIL.



The Enquiry is indeed worth our while, and therefore I hope all the

enamour'd Beaus and Boys, all the Beauty-hunters and Fortune-hunters,

will take heed, for I suppose if they get the Devil, they will not

complain for want of a Fortune; and there's Danger enough, I assure you,

for the World is full of Apparitions, non rosa sine spinis; not a

Beauty without a Devil, the old Women Spectres, and the young Women

Apparitions; the ugly ones Witches, and the handsome ones Devils;


that goes a courting.