Letters on demonology and witchcraft, addressed to J.G. Lockhart, Esq

434 Pages·1830·21.95 MB·English

by  Walter Scott

THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
IN MEMORY OF
EDWIN CORLE
PRESENTED BY
JEAN CORLE

WILLIAM TEGG-.
DEMONOLOGY
AND
WITCHCRAFT
BY
WALTER
SIR SCOTT, BART.
IN A SERIES OF LETTERS
ADDRESSED TO
LOCK HART.
J. (T.
ILLUSTRATED.
LONDON: WILLIAM TEGG & CO.
PANCRAS LANE, CHEAPSIDE.

CONTENTS.
Page
LETTER
I.
Origin of the general Opinions respecting Demonology among
Mankind The Belief in the Immortality of the Soul is the
main Inducement to credit its occasional re-appeaiance The
Philosophical Objections to the Apparition of an Abstract
Spirit little understood by the Vulgar and Ignorant The
situationsofexcitedPassionincidenttoHumanity,whichteach
mentowishor apprehend SupernaturalApparitions Theyare
oftenpresentedbytheSleepingSense StoryofSomnambulism
The Influence of Credulity contagious, so that Individuals
willtrusttheEvidenceofothers indespiteof theirown Senses
Examples from the Historia Verdadera of Bernal Dias del
Castillo, andfromtheWorksofPatrickWalker Theapparent
Evidenceof Intercoursewiththe Supernatural World is some-
timesowingtoadepravedStateofthebodilyOrgans Difference
betweenthisDisorderand Insanity, inwhichtheOrgansretain
their tone, though thatof theMind is lost Rebellionofthe
SensesofaLunatic againstthecurrentofhisReveries Narra-
tivesofacontrary Nature, in which the EvidenceoftheEyes
overbore the Conviction of the Understanding Exampleofa
London Manof Pleasure Of Nicolai, theGerman Bookseller
and Philosopher OfaPatientofDr. Gregory -OfanEminent
Scottish Lawyerdeceased Ofthesame fallacious Disorderare
other instances, whichhavebutsuddenand momentary Endur-
ance Apparition of Maupertuis Ofalate illustrious modern
Poet The Casesquotedchieflyrelatingtofalse Impressionson
theVisual Nerve,thoseupontheEarnextconsidered Delusions
ofthetouchchieflyexperiencedinSleep DelusionsoftheTaste
andoftheSmell Sum oftheArgument, , . . . i
2043129
CONTENTS.
vi
Page
LETTER
II.
Consequencesofthe Fallonthecommunicationbetweenmenand
the SpiritualWorld EffectsoftheFlood WizardsofPharaoh
TextinExodusagainstWitches Theword Witchisbysome
said tomeanmerely Poisoner Or if intheHolyText italso
meansaDivineress,shemust, atanyrate, havebeen acharacter
very different to be identified with it Theoriginal, Chasapk,
said to mean a person who dealt in Poisons,oftenatraffic of
thosewhodealt with Familiar Spirits Butdifferent fromthe
European Witch of the Middle Ages Thus a Witch is not
accessarytothetemptationofJob TheWitch ofthe Hebrews
probablydidnot rankhigherthanaDiviningWoman Yet it
was a crime deservingthedoomofdeath, since it inferred the
disowning of Jehovah's Supremacy Other texts of Scripture,
in like manner, refertosomething corresponding more with a
Fortune-teller or DiviningWoman, thanwhat is nowcalleda
Witch ExampleoftheWitchofEndor Accountofhermeet-
ingwithSaul Supposed bysomeamere Impostor Byothers
aSorceresspowerful enoughtoraisethe Spirit of the Prophet
byherownart Difficultiesattendingbothpositions Amiddle
course adopted, supposing that, as in the case of Balak, the
Almightyhad, byexertionof hiswill, substituted Samuel,ora
good spirit inhischaracter, forthedeceptionwhichtheWitch
intended to produce Resumption of the Argument, showing
thattheWitchofEndorsignifiedsomethingverydifferentfrom
the modern ideas of Witchcraft The Witches mentioned in
the New Testament are not less different from modern ideas
than thoseof the Books of Moses, nordotheyappeartohave
possessed thepower ascribed to Magicians Articles of Faith
whichwemaygatherfromScriptureonthispoint Thatthere
mightbecertain Powerspermitted bytheAlmightytoinferior,
andevenevil Spirits,is possible; and, insome sense, the gods
oftheHeathenmightbeaccounted Demons Morefrequently,
and in a general sense, theywere but logs of wood, without
senseor powerofany kind, andtheir worship foundedon im-
posture OpinionthattheOraclesweresilencedattheNativity,
adoptedbyMilton CasesofDemoniacs Theincarnate Posses-