C. Why, after a little while, my old man came in again,

called his man to set the chairs to rights, and then sat him
down at the table, spoke cheerfully to me, and asked me if I
would drink, which I refused, though I was a-dry indeed. I
believe the fright had made me dry; but as I never had been
used to drink with the devil, I didn't know what to think of
it, so I let it alone.

In his third chapter ('Of the present pretences of the Magicians; how
they defend themselves; and some examples of their practice') Defoe
has a lively account of a contemporary magician, a Dr. Bowman, of
Kent, who seems to have been a firm believer in what is now called
Spiritualism. He was a green old man, who went about in a long black
velvet gown and a cap, with a long beard, and his upper lip trimmed
'with a kind of muschato.' He strongly repudiated any kind of
correspondence or intercourse with the devil; but hinted that he
derived much assistance from the good spirits which people the
invisible world. After dwelling on the follies of the learned, and the
superstitions of the ignorant, this lordly conjurer said: 'You see how
that we, men of art, who have studied the sacred sciences, suffer by
the errors of common fame; they take us all for devil-mongers, damned
rogues, and conjurers.'

The fourth chapter discusses the doctrine of spirits as it is
understood by the magicians; how far it may be supposed there may be
an intercourse with superior beings, apart from any familiarity with
the devil or the spirits of evil; with a transition to the present
times.

And so much for the 'Art of Magic' as expounded by Daniel Defoe.

* * * * *

In 1718 appeared Bishop Hutchinson's 'Historical Essay concerning
Witchcraft,' a book written in a most liberal and tolerant spirit,
and, at the same time, with so much comprehensiveness and exactitude,
that later writers have availed themselves freely of its stores.

Reference may also be made to--

John Beaumont, 'Treatise of Spirits, Apparitions, Witchcrafts, and
other Magical Practices,' 1705.

James Braid (of Manchester), 'Magic, Witchcraft, Animal Magnetism,
Hypnotism, and Electro-Biology' (1852), in which there is very little
about witchcraft, but a good deal about the influence of the
imagination.

J. C. Colquhoun, 'History of Magic, Witchcraft, and Animal Magnetism,'
1851.

Rev. Joseph Glanvill, 'Sadducismus Triumphatus; or, A full and plain
Evidence concerning Witches and Apparitions,' 1670.

Sir Walter Scott, 'Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft,' 1831.

Howard Williams, 'The Superstitions of Witchcraft,' 1865.

It may be a convenience to the reader if I indicate some of the
principal foreign authorities on this subject. Such as--Institor and
Sprenger's great work, 'Malleus Maleficarum' (Nuremberg, 1494); The
monk Heisterbach's (Cæsarius) 'Dialogus Miraculorum' (ed. by
Strange), 1851; Cannaert's 'Procès des Sorcières en Belgique,' 1848;
Dr. W. G. Soldan's 'Geschichte der Hexenprocesse' (1843); G. C.
Horst's 'Zauber-Bibliothek, oder die Zauberei, Theurgie und Mantik,
Zauberei, Hexen und Hexenprocessen, Dämonen, Gespenster und
Geistererscheinungen,' in 6 vols., 1821--a most learned and
exhaustive work, brimful of recondite lore; Collin de Plancy's
'Dictionnaire Infernal; ou Répertoire Universel des Etres, des
Livres, et des Choses qui tiennent aux Apparitions, aux Divinations,
à la Magie,' etc., 1844; Michelet's 'La Sorcière' is, of course,
brilliantly written; R. Reuss's 'La Sorcellerie au xvi{e}. et
xvii{e}. Siècle,' 1872; Tartarotti's 'Del Congresso Notturno delle
Lamie,' 1749; F. Perreaud's 'Demonologie, ou Traité des Démons et
Sorciers,' 1655; H. Boguet's 'Discours des Sorciers,' 1610 (very
rare); and Cotton Mather's 'Wonders of the Invisible World,' 1695--a
monument of credulity, prejudice, and bigotry.

FOOTNOTE:

[53] Some authorities doubt the authorship; but the internal evidence
seems to me to justify the claim made for it as Defoe's.


BOOKS ON MAGIC.

It may also be convenient to the reader if I enumerate a few of the
principal authorities on the history of Magic, Sorcery, and Alchemy. A
very exhaustive list will be found in the 'Bibliotheca Magica et
Pneumatica,' by Graessel, 1843; and an 'Alphabetical Catalogue of
Works on Hermetic Philosophy and Alchemy' is appended to the 'Lives of
Alchemystical Philosophers,' by Arthur Edward Waite, 1888. For
ordinary purposes the following will be found sufficient: Langlet du
Fresnoy, 'Histoire de la Philosophie Hermétique,' 1742; Gabriel Naudé,
'Apologie pour les Grands Hommes faussement soupçonnés de Magie,'
1625; Martin Antoine Delrio, 'Disquisitionum Magicarum, libri sex,'
1599; L. F. Alfred Maury, 'La Magie et l'Astrologie dans l'Antiquité
et au Moyen Age,' etc., 1860; Eus. Salverte, 'Sciences Occultes,' ed.
by Littré, 1856 (see the English translation, 'Philosophy of Magic,'
with Notes by Dr. A. Todd Thomson, 1846); Abbé de Villars, 'Entretiens
du Comte de Gabalis' ('Voyages Imaginaires,' tome 34), Englished as
'The Count de Gabalis: being a diverting History of the Rosicrucian
Doctrine of Spirits,' etc., 1714; Elias Ashmole, 'Theatrum Chemicum
Britannicum;' Roger Bacon, 'Mirror of Alchemy,' 1597; Louis Figuier,
'Histoire de l'Alchimie et les Alchimistes,' 1865; Arthur Edward
Waite, 'The Real History of the Rosicrucians,' 1887; Hargrave
Jennings, 'The Rosicrucians,' new edit.; William Godwin, 'Lives of the
Necromancers,' 1834; Dr. T. Thomson, 'History of Chemistry,' 1831;
'Encyclopædia Britannica,' _in locis_; Dr. Kopp, 'Geschichte der
Chemie;' G. Rodwell, 'Birth of Chemistry,' 1874; Haerfor, 'Histoire de
la Chimie,' etc., etc.


BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS, GUILDFORD.




Transcriber's Note

Variations in spelling, hyphenation and accent usage are preserved as
printed.

Minor punctuation errors have been repaired.

Page 253 includes the phrase "And thead of the said meetinge was to
consult ...". Another source of the quotation uses 'thend' instead
of 'thead'. Although 'thead' may be a typographic error, as there is
no way to be certain it is preserved as printed.

The following amendments have been made:

Page 65--1675 amended to 1575--"One of these royal visits was
made on March 10, 1575, ..."

Page 142--make amended to made--"... made many impertinent
obliterations, formed many objections, ..."

Page 143--every amended to ever--"... as any that ever fell
from the lips of the Pythian priestess: ..."

Page 150--or amended to of--"... (both of which were
translated by Elias Ashmole), ..."

Page 204--withcraft amended to witchcraft--"... and even
ecclesiastics, have been accused of practising witchcraft."

Page 272--infalliby amended to infallibly--"... whose skill
would infallibly detect the guilty person."

Page 310--Macgillivordam amended to MacGillivordam--"she
instructed MacGillivordam to procure a large quantity of
poison."

Page 314--MacIngurach amended to MacIngaruch--"A warrant was
issued for the arrest of Marion MacIngaruch; ..."

Page 375--changes amended to change, and person amended to
persons--"... encouraged by this change of sentiment, persons
accused of witchcraft ..."

Page 428--soupçonnès amended to soupçonnés--"... 'Apologie
pour les Grands Hommes faussement soupçonnés de Magie,' ..."