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dern instances of the appearance of spectres, &c., which he published in folio about the time of Charles I. or II., as the title of the copy before me is imperfect. These he called "A Treatise of Spectres; or an history of apparitions, oracles, prophecies, and predictions, with dreams, visions, and revelations."

Sir Thomas Brown enables us to give a further insight into the superstitious practice of wearing amulets, who very sagaciously enquires what natural effects could possibly be supposed to follow the suspension of a hollow stone in a stable to prevent the ephialtes or night mare, or the chips of a gallows worn on the person to guard against an ague, or rubbing the hands before the moon to cure warts, or committing any maculated part to the touch of the dead. It seems it was a female doctrine, that the first rib of roasted beef powdered is an excellent remedy against fluxes, and that "if a child dieth, and the neck becometh not stiff, but for many hours remaineth lithe and flaccid, some other in the same house will die not long after; (and) that if a woman with child looketh upon a dead body, her child will be of a pale complexion." And yet this man denied not the influence of the stars, nor did he "condemn a sober and regulated astrology."

The aurora borealis, now so generally understood to be the effects of the electrical fluid in particular states of the atmosphere, occasioned

great

great terror in the reigns of Charles, his successor, and James II., which had, in all probability, been the case very long before; but as printing was unknown, we have only the accounts of Stowe and others repeated from traditions or MS. of their effects upon the public mind. We cannot but lament, on reading the periodical publications of the reigns alluded to, and even something later, the horrors that weak imaginations formed from the beautiful coruscations of this inexplicable matter, which assumes so many shapes, and so many colours, and which is visible and invisible at the same instant. One instance, extracted from the True Protestant Mercury of January 1st, 1680-1, will serve for an epitome of all that might be cited from our antient chronicles on this head. "We had last week an account of a strange and terrible apparition seen in the air at Exeter; but, being very cautious not to emit any thing but matters of truth, and very far from any intent to disturb people with a noise of fictitious prodigies, we then forebore to mention. But, hearing that the same is since confirmed and attested by persons of unquestionable credit, we shall now give it the reader, in the very words wherein it was communicated to us.

Exeter, Dec. 25th, 1680.-Tuesday night last, several credible and intelligent persons, retiring into a convenient place in this city to view the appearance of the blazing comet, which very

dreadfully

dreadfully dilated itself in the western part of the heavens. As we were discoursing our several conjectures upon its portents, on the sudden we beheld very perspicuous in the air two voluminous clouds, directly drawing to each other, one whereof coming from the North plainly discovered itself to be an army of soldiers; and, being met, they both appeared so, and engaged in a very dreadful manner, the conflict continuing half an hour; and at length the former seemed to give way as vanquished, with their general, being perceived to have a coronet on his head. This strange event caused in all of us amazement and astonishment: and I do not write this as a fiction or hearsay, but it was visible to myself, and some hundreds of people besides; so that it can sufficiently be attested, being as certainly true as dreadful." As this account is corroborated by similar relations from other parts of the country, there cannot be a doubt that an aurora borealis, and not the imagination of an individual, caused the alarm.

The variety of ways in which I have demonstrated the amazing superstition of the people makes the following extract from the Protestant Mercury probable in part, though the conclusion is decidedly untrue. Had not the same publication given solemn testimonies in favour of the editor's firm belief in signs, wonders, and prodigies, I should have supposed the story to be a

VOL. II.

T

witty

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