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T H   E    W        K  S   O F
DANIEL DEFOE
IN SIXTEEN VOLUMES
LIMITED          EDITION
IIMITED for sale in America and Europe to
One Thousand Numbered and Registered Sets,
of  which  this  is  Number.........................




I




I




LITTLE DUNCAN AND THE REVEREND
DOCTOR


Running towards the doctor, fell on his knees, and
laughed as before
PAGEs 26




N l
I




THE WORKS OF DANIEL DEFOE
VOLUME FOUR


THE
HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND SURPRISING
ADVENTURES
OF
MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL
WITH THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE, AND AN INTRODUCTION BY
G. H. MAYNADIER, PH.D.
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
* *
NEW YORK
GEORGE D. SPROUL
MCMIII




Copyright, 190o3, by
TH4E UNIVERSITY PRESS
UNIVERSITY PRESS  JOHN WILSON
AND SON, CAM BRIDGE, U.S.A.




4 A
CONTENTS
PAGE
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.........                 ix
INTRODUCTION............                       xi
To THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF GREAT BRITAIN XXiii
AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION.XX...                  iii
CHAPTER ONE
Mr. Campbell's descent, family, birth, etc. Also
an account of Mr. Archibald Campbell's travels
into Lapland, where he married a rich lady of
that country, who was daughter to the underpraefect or deputy-governor of the district of
Uma Lapmark; with some letters from him to
his father in the Isle of Shetland, in Scotland,
particularly one concerning the birth of his son,
our present Mr. Duncan Campbell..            3
CHAPTER TWO
After the death of Mr. Duncan Campbell's mother
in Lapland, his father, Mr. Archibald Campbell,
returned into Scotland with his little son and
family. His second marriage, and how his son,
being born deaf and dumb, was first learned to
read and write..........
[ v]




CONTENTS


CHAPTER THREE
PAGE
The method of teaching deaf and dumb persons to
wnte, read, and understand a language... 29
CHAPTER FOUR
Young Duncan Campbell returns with his mother
to Edinburgh. The Earl of Argyll's overthrow. The ruin of Mr. Archibald Campbell,
and his death. Young Duncan's practice in
prediction, at Edinburgh, while yet a boy..  44
CHAPTER FIVE
An argument proving the perception which men
have, and have had, by all the senses, as seeing, hearing, etc., of demons, genii, or familiar
spirits.64
CHAPTER SIX
A narrative of Mr. Campbell's coming to London,
and taking upon him the profession of a predictor; together with an account of many
strange things that came to pass just as he
foretold............. 103
CHAPTER SEVEN
A philosophical discourse concerning the secondsight....           146
[ vi ]




CONTENTS
CHAPTER EIGHT
PAGE
A dissertation upon magic under all its branches,
with some remarkable particulars relating to
Mr. Campbell's private life...      173
The first objection against the existence of spirits,
and the refutations thereof..             219
The second objection against the existence of
witches.................       227
THE APPENDIX......                 253
A REMARKABLE PASSAGE OF AN APPARITION..273
THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR, THE GENEROUS APPARITION............. 289


[vii]








LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
LITTLE DUNCAN AND THE REVEREND DOCTOR Frontisiece
YOUNG DUNCAN IN A TRANCE..... Page 56
THE COURT BEAUTY WAITING TO CONSULT
DUNCAN CAMPBELL........, 120
ON TRIAL BEFORE THE FRIARS.....    196




I




INTRODUCTION


IN this volume are found two, or possibly three,
works by Daniel Defoe which have been connected with the name of a well-known character of the early eighteenth century, Duncan
Campbell. Two other works relating to the same
man have been at times attributed to Defoe, but the
best opinion is that they were not from his pen.
So far as the facts in the life of Campbell can now
be ascertained, they are substantially the same as
those related by Defoe in his History of the Life and
Adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell. The subject
of this History was the son of a Mr. Campbell of
Argyllshire and a lady of Lapland. On the death
of his wife, whom he married abroad, Mr. Campbell
returned to Scotland, taking with him his only child,
a son, who seems to have been born about 1680.
This boy, Duncan, always passed for deaf and dumb,
and there is no good reason to believe that he was
not. Asserting that he had the gift of second
sight, he became so famous in Scotland by his remarkable predictions that in 1694, desiring wider
fame, he went up to London to become a professional seer. From then to the time of his death,
his object was ever to keep himself in the notice of
the English public.
[xi]




INTRODUCTION


In the earlier part of his career, when Campbell
had just come of age, he seems to have been rather
wild and extravagant. At one time he was so
heavily in debt that he decided to sojourn in Holland for a while. Thence, after various adventures,
he returned to London, where he married a young
widow, lived in pretty fair style, and became more
famous as a soothsayer than ever.
References in the Tatler and the Spectator prove
that for years Duncan Campbell had a considerable vogue. In No. 14 of the former periodical, May 12th, 1709, Steele wrote under date of
" White's Chocolate-house, May 11" - ":   A gentleman here this evening was giving me an account of
a dumb Fortune-Teller, who outdoes Mr. Partridge,1
myself, or the Unborn Doctor, for predictions: all
his visitants come to him full of expectations, and
pay his own rate for the interpretations they put
upon his shrugs and nods. There is a fine rich Citywidow stole thither the other day," - and then the
Tatler goes on to tell of her wish to know whether
she should marry again, of the fortune-teller's intimation that she should marry not once but twice, and
of her speculations as to which gentlemen, among
those who frequented the soothsayer's apartment,
were her husbands-to-be.
Three years later Addison mentioned Campbell in
No. 323 of the Spectator.2  Part of a young lady's
1 The vulgar almanac-maker who was the victim of Swift's
famous hoax.
2 March 11th, 1712.
[xii]




INTRODUCTION


journal has supposedly come to the Spectator's attention, a week's journal of a life "filled with a fashionable kind of Gayety and Laziness;" and in the
last entry we read:-" Monday. Eight a Clock.
Waked by Miss Kitty.... Went in our Mobbs to
the dumb Man, according to Appointment. Told
me that my Lover's Name began with a G. Mem. the
Conjurer was within a Letter of Mr. Froth's Name,
&c."'
In September of the same year, in No. 474, Steele
made a certain "Dulcibella Thankley" write enthusiastically of "Mr. Campbell, the dumb Man," to
whom she wishes especially to render thanks, because through his prophecies she is become "the
happiest She in Kent." Inasmuch as no reference to
Mr. Campbell in either the Tatler or the Spectator
was more flattering than this, Defoe gave the letter
in full in Chapter VIII. of the present volume.
Later references of the Spectator to the dumb man
are more satirical. In No. 505,1 appeared a letter
which was supposed to come from one recommending himself as an interpreter of dreams. "I am
pretty well qualified for this office,..." Addison
made the correspondent write. "My great Uncle
by my Wife's Side was a Scotch Highlander, and
second Sighted." And at the conclusion the correspondent wrote, " N. B. I am not dumb."
Again Addison wrote in No. 560,2 "Everyone has
heard of the famous Conjurer, who, according to the
Opinion of the Vulgar, has studied himself dumb;
1 October 9th, 1712.   2 June 28th, 1714.
[xiii ]




INTRODUCTION


for which Reason, as it is believed, he delivers out
all his Oracles in Writing. Be that as it will, the
blind Teresias was not more famous in Greece, than
this dumb Artist has been for some Years last past,
in the Cities of London and Westmimnster."
Finally, in his 619th paper,1 the Spectator, in trying to give some idea of the variety of the letters
which he receives, writes of one dated from Cornhill,
from Charissa, who "desires to be eased in some
Scruples relating to the Skill of Astrologers. Referred to the Dumb Man for an Answer."
Fads appear to have lasted longer at the beginning of the eighteenth century than at the end of
the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth.
Novelty did not succeed novelty then with the same
rapidity as now. Still all things in time had their
turn, and there is a sign that Mr. Campbell had had
his in the advertising he resorted to towards the
end of his life to keep his name before the public.
Defoe's Life of Campbell, in a way, is part of this
advertising. True, we cannot say that it was
written at the suggestion of the fortune-teller.
Defoe's unceasing interest in vulgar wonders would
naturally have led him to " write up" Campbell;
moreover, the publisher, thinking the book a good
commercial venture, may have offered Defoe a good
price for it. Still, one cannot read the preface
addressed "1 To the Ladies and Gentlemen of Great
Britain," and signed by Campbell, without feeling
that an important purpose of the book was to get
I November 12th, 1714.
[xiv]




INTRODUCTION


people into the habit of consulting the seer again.
That they had got out of this habit is plain from
Campbell's attacks on other fortune-tellers and all
kinds of independent divination, and from his selfcommendation.   There can be little doubt that
Defoe was helping to advertise a partially forgotten
favourite, when he wrote The History of the Life
and Adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell. A Gentleman, who though born Deaf and Dumb, writes down
any Stranger's Name at First Sight; and their
Future Contingencies of Fortune.  Now living in
Exeter Court, over against the Savoy in the Strand.
This work was published by Curll on the thirtieth
of April, 1720. Two days later, by clever management on some one's part, "Mr. Campbell, the Deaf
and Dumb Gentleman... Kiss'd the King's Hand,
and presented to his Majesty The History of his Life
and Adventures, which was by his Majesty most
graciously received."'
Even this advertisement of Defoe's book seems
not to have made it sell so well as had been hoped.
The next month, accordingly, a pamphlet was issued-it is conjectured to improve the sale - entitled, Mr. Campbell's Pacquetfor the Entertainment
of Gentlemen and Ladies, Contaiing I, Verses to
Mr. Campbell, Occasioned by the History of his Life
and Adventures. By Mrs. Fowke, Mr. Philips, f4c.
II, The Parallel, a Poem  comparing the Poetical
Productions of Mr. Pope, with the Prophetical Predictions of Mr. Campbell. By Capt. Stanhope. III,
1 Daily Post, Wednesday, May 4th, 1720.
[xv]




INTRODUCTION


An Account of a Most Surprising Apparition; sent
from Launceston in Cornwall. Attested by the Rev.
Mr. Ruddle, Minister there. It is conjectured that
Campbell's original plan was to publish only the
first two sections of his Pacquet. As they proved,
however, too short for a pamphlet, he probably asked
Defoe to supply a third section. Whether or not
the Pacquet improved the sale of Campbell's Life
and Adventures, a second edition of the latter appeared in August, 1720, with the Pacquet included.
It may be noted here that a third edition followed
in 1728, with a titlepage which gave no clue to its
being the Life and Adventures of Campbell already
published. The Pacquet was included in this third
edition, as it was in a fourth, published at the end of
December of the same year.
The part of the Pacquet which chiefly concerns
us is the third, which, as I have said, was probably
supplied by Defoe, and is therefore included in this
volume. Having no direct connection with Campbell, it must have been inserted in his Pacquet on
the supposition that any account of a remarkable
vision would be of interest in a book referring to
him. It purports to tell the story of A Remarkable
Passage of an Apparition which was seen by the Rev.
John Ruddle, a clergyman of Cornwall, in the year
1665. This Apparition till very recently has been
attributed to Defoe; and the story is so much the
sort of thing that he would have written, that one
is naturally loath to deny his authorship. In the
light of recent investigation, however, we must admit
[ xvi]




INTRODUCTION


that the Most Surprising Apparition was probably
not his.
Defoe himself gave the credit of the story to
Ruddle. In Campbell's Pacquet, at the head of
the narrative are the words, " Related by the Rev.
Dr. Ruddle, of Launceston in Cornwall, in the Year
1665." This of itself without corroboration would
mean nothing, for one may say of such statements
of Defoe in general, that they are as likely to be
false as true. But Mr. Alfred F. Robbins, in an
article written in 1895 for Notes and Queries,l and
in another for the Speaker,2 has shown that in this
case Defoe probably spoke the truth.
Mr. Robbins calls attention to the fact that C. S.
Gilbert's History of Cornwall, published in 1817,
contained the story of Dorothy Dingley's ghost in
almost the very words of the account in Campbell's
Pacquet. Gilbert said that he had got the story
from the Rev. Jago Arundell, a native of Launceston, who had found it in the course of antiquarian
researches, and was convinced that " it was in
Ruddle's handwriting." The question at once arises,
did the Rev. Jago Arundell speak the truth? There
seems to be no reason to suppose that he did not.
He was both a conscientious and experienced antiquarian. The notice of his life in the Dictionary
of National Biography shows that from his childhood he was interested in Cornish history; and
Mr. Robbins shows that Arundell, in his antiquarian
researches, had seen both papers in Ruddle's hand1 September 21st, 1895.  2 October 19th, 1895.
[ xvii]




INTRODUCTION


writing and entries of his in the Launceston Parish
Register. As to the variations between the account
which Defoe secured for Campbell's Pacquet and
that which Gilbert published nearly a century later,
they may be due, says Mr. Quiller-Couch,1 writing
on Mr. Robbins's first article, "to slight alterations
made by Defoe in putting the MS. through the
press, or to his carelessness in correcting the proofs,"
and to the possibility that the narrative found by
Mr. Arundell was a "subsequent 'fair copy,' in which
Ruddle had made a few trifling alterations."
None of the facts of Ruddle's life, so far as they
are known, will prevent our accepting his authorship of the strange narrative in question. What
little we know of his literary ability would lead us
to expect a narrative inferior to another on a similar
subject, which is pretty certainly by Defoe, and
which will be found in a later volume of this edition, -The Apparition of Mrs. Veal. But though
the story of the Cornish apparition is inferior as
narrative to that of The Apparition of Mrs. Veal,
it is not without such touches as to an amazing
degree produce belief in Defoe's stories.  It is
good testimony, for instance, for the reality of the
apparition, that on one occasion "a spaniel dog,
who followed the company unregarded, did bark
and run away, as the spectrum passed by; whence
it is easy to conclude that it was not our fear or
fancy which made the apparition."  Such realistic
touches, however, are by no means so common as
I The $peaker, October 12th, 1895.
[ xviii ]




INTRODUCTION


they would be in a story of Defoe's. On the whole,
the tale of the Cornish apparition is not too skilfully written to be the work of a clergyman of good
education and some literary feeling, who had been
profoundly impressed by a wonder which he believed
he had seen.
Nor do the dates of Ruddle's life forbid the assumption of his authorship. He began his ministry
at Launceston in 1663, two years before he said
that he saw Dorothy Dingley's ghost. He died in
1699, twenty-one years before Campbell's Pacquet
appeared. An account of the Apparition in Ruddle's
handwriting, therefore, could not have been copied
from the account which Defoe added to his second
edition of Campbell's Life. On the other hand,
Defoe, with his half-credulous interest in marvels,
would have been likely to get hold of Ruddle's
story, if he had visited Launceston. That he did
visit the place - probably on one of his secret political journeys- we know from his mention of it in
his Tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain.1
Defoe was not the only author to bestow attention
on Duncan Campbell. In 1724 there came out A
Spy upon the Conjuror, a pamphlet whose manifest
1 If the style of the Most Surpriing Apparition were such
as to make us of necessity believe that Defoe wrote it, we
might assume that he made a visit to Launceston in the lifetime of Ruddle (perhaps when in hiding after the failure of
Monmouth's rebellion), got the story then by word of mouth,
and put it into a written form which Ruddle subsequently
copied with a few alterations. The style, however, does not
force us into such an hypothesis.
[ ix]




INTRODUCTION


object was to laud the " astonishing penetration and
event" of his predictions. The author was Eliza
Haywood. It is probable that from her pen, too,
came in 1725 The Dumb Projector; being a surprising account of a Trip to Holland made by Mr.
Campbell, with the manner of his Reception and Behaviour there. This has at times been attributed to
Defoe, but Mr. Lee was satisfied that it was not his.
There is no doubt, though, that Defoe wrote at
least the larger part of The Friendly Demon, which
concludes this volume. It appeared in 1726 in two
parts. The first was a letter signed by Duncan
Campbell and addressed to a certain friend, whose
name was not mentioned, asking the friend's opinion
on Campbell's recent miraculous cure after an illness
which had lasted the better part of eight years. In
this letter Campbell stated that his guardian angel,
or friendly demon, had prescribed the remedy which
had wrought his cure, and he intimated that it might
prove equally beneficial to others, presumably if they
would pay him for it. The second part was a reply
from the anonymous friend, who was no other than
Defoe, to " my deaf and dumb Friend, Mr. Duncan
Campbell." Mr. Lee has written with some enthusiasm of Defoe's conscientiousness in his reply to Campbell's alleged letter, of his unwillingness to commend
a miraculous cure which he could hardly believe in,
and of his desire to help his friend. Though there
is no actual recommendation of the loadstone and
powders which had effected Campbell's cure, the
whole tone of the reply, with its discussion of familiar
I[x ]




INTRODUCTION


spirits and the like, seems to me designed to induce
as many people as possible to try Campbelrs remedy.
In fine, it is not unlikely that Defoe composed Campbell's letter as well as the reply, and that both were
written because Campbell, having failed as a fortuneteller through sickness and loss of vogue, wished to
support himself as a quack doctor.
The Friendly Demon seems to have been the last
piece which Defoe wrote for Campbell. In 1730 the
dumb man was attacked with a sickness which proved
too much for his " demon." This time there was no
miraculous restoration to health; it was decreed that
Campbell should die.
Enough interest was still felt in the man to warrant the publication in 1732 of Secret Memoirs of the
Late Mr. Duncan Campbell, the famous Deaf and
Dumb Gentleman, written by himself, who ordered
that they should be published after his Decease. Mr.
Lee declares that, in spite of this having been
ascribed to Defoe, the only part of the work really
his was the Friendly Demon, which was reprinted
with it.
G. H. MAYNADIER.


[ xxi ]








TO THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF
GREAT BRITAIN
T AM not unacquainted that, ever since this
book was first promised by way of advertisement to the world, it was greedily coveted by
a great many persons of airy tempers, for the
same reason that it has been condemned by those of
a more formal class, who thought it was calculated
partly to introduce a great many new and diverting
curiosities in the way of superstition, and partly to
divulge the secret intrigues and amours of one part
of the sex, to give the other part room to make
favourite scandal the subject of their discourse, and
so to make one-half of the fair species very merry
over the blushes and the mortifications of the other
half. But when they come to read the following
sheets, they will find their expectations disappointed,
but I hope I may say too, very agreeably disappointed.
They will find a much more elegant entertainment
than they expected. Instead of making them a bill
of fare out of patchwork romances of polluting
scandal, the good old gentleman who wrote the adventures of my life has made it his business to treat
them with a great variety of entertaining passages
which always terminate in morals that tend to the
edification of all readers, of whatsoever sex, age, or
[ xxiii]




TO THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN


profession. Instead of seducing young, innocent,
unwary minds, into the vicious delight which is too
often taken in reading the gay and bewitching chimeras of the cabalists, and in perusing the enticing
fables of new-invented tricks of superstition, my
ancient friend, the writer, strikes at the very root of
these superstitions, and shows them how they may
be satisfied in their several curiosities, by having
recourse to time, who by the talent of the secondsight (which he so beautifully represents how nature
is so kind frequently to implant in the minds of men
born in the same climate with myself) can tell you
those things naturally, which, when you try to learn
yourselves, you either run the hazard of being imposed upon in your pockets by cheats, gipsies, and
common fortune-tellers, or else of being imposed
upon in a still worse way, in your most lasting welfare, by having recourse to conjurors or enchanters
that deal in black arts, and involve all their consulters in one general partnership of their execrable
guilt; or lastly, of imposing worst of all on your
own selves, by getting into an itch of practising and
trying the little tricks of female superstition, which
are often more officiously handed down by the tradition of credulous nurses and old women, from one
generation to another, than the first principles of
Christian doctrine, which it is their duty to instil
early into little children. But I hope when this
book comes to be pretty generally read among you
ladies (as by your generous and numerous subscriptions I have good reason to expect), that it will afford
a perfect remedy and a thorough cure to that dis[ xxiv ]




OF GREAT BRITAIN


temper, which first took its rise from too great a
growth of curiosity, and too large a stock of credulity, nursed prejudicially up with you in your more
tender and infant years.
Whatever young maid hereafter has an innocent
but longing desire to know who shall be her husband, and what time she shall be married, will, I
hope, when she has read in the following sheets
of a man that can set her right in the knowledge
of those points, purely by possessing the gift of the
second-sight, sooner have recourse innocently to such
a man than use unlawful means to acquire it, such as
running to conjurors to have his figure shown in their
enchanted glasses, or using any of those traditionary
superstitions by which they may dream of their husbands, or cause visionary shapes of them to appear
on such and such festival nights of the year; all
which practices are not ordinarily wicked and impious, but downright diabolical.  I hope that
the next twenty-ninth of June, which is St. John
the Baptist's Day, I shall not see the several pasture
fields adjacent to this metropolis, especially that
behind Montague House, thronged, as they were
the last year, with well-dressed young ladies, crawling busily up and down upon their knees, as if they
were a parcel of weeders, when all the business is to
hunt superstitiously after a coal under the root of a
plantain, to put under their heads that night, that
they may dream who shall be their husbands. In
order to shame them out of this silly but guilty
practice, I do intend to have some spies out on that
day, that shall discover who they are, and what they
[ xxv ]




TO THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
have been about; and I here give notice to the public
that this ill-acted comedy (if it be acted at all this
year) must begin, according to the rule of their
superstition, on that day precisely at the hour of
twelve. And so much for the pretty weeders; but
as you (ladies) have had several magical traditions
delivered to you, which, if you put in exercise and
practice, will be greatly prejudicial to your honour
&nd your virtue, let me interpose my counsels, which
will conduct you innocuously to the same end which
some ladies have laboured to arrive at by these impieties. Give me leave first to tell you that though
what you aim at may be arrived to by these means,
yet these means make that a miserable fortune which
would have been a good one; because, in order to
know human things beforehand, you use preternatural mediums, which destroy the goodness of the
courses which nature herself was taking for you, and
annexes to them diabolical influences, which commonly
carries along with them fatalities in this world as
well as the next. You will therefore give me your
pardon likewise, ladies, if I relate some other of
these practices; which bare relation, of itself, after
what I have said before, seems to me sufficient to
explode them.
Another of the nurses' prescriptions is this. Upon
a St. Agnes's Night, the twenty-first day of January,
take a row of pins and pull out every one, one after
another, saying a Pater Noster, or Our Father, sticking a pin in your sleeve, and you will dream of her
you shall marry.   Ben Jonson, in one of his
masques, makes some mention of this
[ Xxvi




OF GREAT BRITAIN


" And on sweet St Agnes' night
Please you with the promised sight,
Some of husbands, some of lovers,
Which an empty dream discovers."
Now what can be more infinitely profane than to
use the prayer of our Lord instituted in such a way?
There is another prescription, which is as follows:
You must lie in another county, and knit the left
garter about the right-legged stocking (let the other
garter and stocking alone), and as you rehearse these
following verses, at every comma knit a knotThis knot I knit,
To know the thing I know not yet,
That I may see
The man that shall my husband be:
How he goes, and what he wears,
And what he does all days and years."
Accordingly, in your dream you will see him: if a
musician, with a lute or other instrument; if a scholar,
with a book, &c. Now I appeal to you, ladies, what
a ridiculous prescription is this? But yet, as slight
a thing as it is, it may be of great importance if it
be brought about, because then it must be construed
to be done by preternatural means, and then those
words are nothing less than an application to the
devil.
Mr. Aubrey, of the Royal Society, says a gentlewoman that he knew confessed, in his hearing, that
she used this method, and dreamed of her husband,
whom she had never seen. About two or three years
after, as she was one Sunday at church, up pops a
young Oxonian in the pulpit: she cries out presently
[ xxi ]




TO THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN


to her sister, C" This is the very face of the man I saw
in my dream." Sir William Somes's lady did the like.
Another way is to charm the moon thus (as the
old nurses give out): at the first appearance of the
moon after New Year's Day (some say any other new
moon is as good), go out in the evening, and stand
over the spars of a gate or stile, looking on the moon
(here remark that in Yorkshire they kneel on a groundfast stone), and say" All hail to the moon, all hail to thee;
I prithee, good moon, reveal to me
This night who my husband shall be."
You must presently after go to bed. The aforesaid
Mr. Aubrey knew two gentlewomen that did thus
when they were young maids, and they had dreams
of those that married them.. But a great many of the wittiest part of your sex
laugh at these common superstitions; but then they
are apt to run into worse. They give themselves up
to the reading of the cabalistical systems of sylphs,
and gnomes, and mandrakes, which are very wicked
and delusive imaginations.
I would not have you imagine, ladies, that I impute these things as infirmities and frailties peculiar
to your sex. No, men, and great men, too, and
scholars, and even statesmen and princes themselves,
have been tainted with superstitions; and where they
infect the minds of such great personages, they make
the deeper impression, according to the stronger and
more manly ideas they have of them. Their greater
degree of strength in the intellect only subjects them to
[ xxviii ]




OF GREAT BRITAIN


greaterweaknesses. Suchwas even thegreatParacelsus,
the wonder and miracle of learning in the age wherein
he lived; and such were all his followers, scholars,
statesmen, divines, and princes, that are talismanists.
These talismans that Paracelsus pretends to owe
to the excogitation and invention of honest art, seem
to me to be of a very diabolical nature, and to owe
their rise to being dedicated by the author to the
heathen gods. Thus the cabalists, pretending to a
vast penetration into arts and sciences (though all
their thoughts are chimeras and extravagances, unless
they be helped by preternatural means), say they have
found out the several methods appropriated to the
several planets. They have appropriated gold to
the sun on the Sunday, silver to the moon on the
Monday, iron to Mars on the Tuesday, quicksilver
to Mercury on the Wednesday, tin to Jupiter on the
Thursday, copper or brass to Venus on the Friday,
and lead to Saturn on the Saturday. The methods
they take in forming these talismans are too long to
dwell upon here; but the properties which they pretend belong to them are, that the first talisman or
seal of the sun will make a man beloved by all princes
and potentates, and cause him to abound with all the
riches his heart can wish. The second preserves
travellers from danger, and is favourable to merchants, tradesmen, and workmen. The third carries
destruction to any place where it is put; and it is
said that a certain great minister of state ordered one
of these to be carried into England in the times of
the revolution of the government caused by Oliver
Cromwell. The fourth, they pretend, cures fevers and
[xxix]




TO THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN


other diseases: and if it be put under the bolster, it
makes the proprietor have true dreams, in which he
sees all he desires to know. The fifth, according to
them, renders a man lucky and fortunate in all his
businesses and undertakings; it dissipates melancholy,
drives away all importunate cares, and banishes panic
fears from the mind. The sixth, by being put into
the liquor which any one drinks, reconciles mortal
enemies, and makes them intimate friends; it gains
the love of all women, and renders the proprietor
very dexterous in the art of music. The seventh
makes women be easily brought to bed without pain;
and if a horseman carries it in his left boot, himself
and his horse become invulnerable.
This Paracelsus and his learned followers say is
owing to the influence of the stars; but I cannot help
arguing these acts of diabolical impiety. But as these
arts are rarely known among the middling part of
mankind, I shall neither open their mysteries, nor
inveigh against them any further.
The persons who are most to be avoided, are your
ordinary fortune-telling women and men about this
town, whose houses ought to be avoided as a plague or
a pestilence, either because they are cheats and impostors, or because they deal with black arts, none
of them that I know having any pretensions to the
gift of a second-sight. Among many, a few of the most
notorious that I can call to mind now, are as follow.
The first and chiefest of these mischievous fortunetellers is a woman that does not live far from the Old
Bailey. And truly the justice hall in that place is
the properest place for her to appear at, where, if she
[ xxx ]




OF GREAT BRITAIN


was tried for pretending to give charms written upon
paper with odd scrawls, which she calls figures, she
would be probably convicted, and very justly condemned, and doomed to have her last journey from
the Old Bailey to Newgate, and from Newgate to Tyburn. The other is a fellow that lives in Moorfields,
in which place, those who go to consult him ought to
live all their lifetimes at the famous palaces of the
senseless men. He is the successor of the famous
Dr. Trotter, whose widow he married; and from being
a tailor, and patching men's garments, he now cuts
flourishes with his shears upon parchment, considers
the heavens as a garment, and from the spangles
thereupon he calculates nativities, and sets up for a
very profound astrologer. The third is an ignorant
fellow that caws out strange predictions in Crow
Alley, of whose croaking noise I shall here take no
notice, he having been sufficiently mauled in the most
ingenious Spectators. These, and such counterfeits
as these, I would desire all gentlemen and ladies to
avoid. The only two really learned men that I ever
knew in the art of astrology were my good friends,
Dr. Williams and Mr. Gadbury; and I thought it
necessary to pay this esteem to their manes, let the
world judge of them what it will. I will here say no
more, nor hinder you any longer, gentlemen and
ladies, from the diversion which my good old friend,
who is now departed this life, has prepared for you in
his book, which a young gentleman of my acquaintance revised, and only subscribe myself, yours, &c.,
DUNCAN CAMPBELL.


[ xxxi ]








AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION


O F all the writings delivered in an historical manner to the world, none certainly
were ever held in greater esteem than
those which give us the lives of distinguished private men at full length; and, as I
may say, to the life.  Such curious fragments of
biography are the rarities which great men seek
after with eager industry, and when found, prize
them as the chief jewels and ornaments that enrich
their libraries; and deservedly, for they are the beauties of the greatest men's lives handed down by way
of example or instruction to posterity, and commonly
handed down likewise by the greatest men. Since,
therefore, persons distinguished for merit in one kind
or other are the constant subjects of such discourses,
and the most elegant writers of each age have been
usually the only authors who choose upon such subjects to employ their pens, and since persons of the
highest rank and dignity, and genii of the most refined and delicate relish, are frequently curious enough
to be the readers of them, and to esteem them the most
valuable pieces in a whole collection of learned works,
it is a wonder to me, that when any man's life has
something in it peculiarly great and remarkable in its
kind, it should not move some more skilful writer
[ xxiii ]




AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION


than myself to give the public a taste of it, because
it must be at least vastly entertaining, if it be not,
which is next to impossible, immensely instructive and
profitable withal.
If ever the life of any man under the sun was remarkable, this Mr. Duncan Campbell's, which I am
going to treat upon, is so to a very eminent degree.
It affords such variety of incidents, and is accompanied with such diversity of circumstances, that it
includes within it what must yield entire satisfaction
to the most learned, and admiration to persons of a
moderate understanding. The prince and the peasant
will have their several ends of worthy delight in reading it; and Mr. Campbell's life is of that extent that
it concerns and collects (as I may say) within itself
every station of life in the universe. Besides, there
is a demand, in almost every page that relates any
new act of his, for the finest and closest disquisitions
that learning can make upon human nature, to account how those acts could be done by him; for he
daily practised, and still practises, those things naturally which puts art to the rack to find out how nature
can so operate in him; and his fleshly body, by these
operations, is a living practical system or body of new
philosophy, which exceeds even all those that have
hitherto been compounded by the labour and art of
many ages.
If one that had speculated deep into abstruse matters, and made it his study not only to know how to
assign natural reasons for some strange new acts, that
looked like miracles by being peculiar to the individual genius of some particular admired man, but
[ xxxiv ]




AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION


carrying his inquiry to a much greater height, had
speculated likewise what might possibly be achieved
by human genius in the full perfection of nature, and
had laid it down as a thesis by strong arguments, that
such things might be compassed by a human genius
(if in its true degree of perfection) as are the hourly
operations of the person's life I am writing, he would
have been counted a wild, romantic enthusiast, instead
of a natural philosopher. Some of the wisest would
be infidels to so new and so refined a scheme of thinking, and demand experiment, or cry it was all against
reason, and would not allow the least tittle to be true
without it. Yet the man that had found out so great
a mystery as to tell us what might be done by human
genius, as it is here actually done, would have been a
great man within himself; but wanting farther experimental proof, could lay no claim to the belief of
others, or consequently to their esteem. But how
great, then, is the man who makes it constantly his
practice actually to do what would not otherwise
have been thought to be of such a nature as might
ever be acquired by mortal capacity, though in its
full complement of all possible perfection? He is not
only great within himself, he is great to the world:
his experiments force our belief, and the amazing
singularity of those experiments provokes both our
wonder and esteem.
If any learned man should have advanced this proposition, that mere human art could give to the deaf
man what should be equal to his hearing, and to the
dumb man an equivalent for his want of speech, so
that he should converse as freely almost as other hear[ xxxv ]




AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION


ing or talking persons; that he might, though born
deaf, be by art taught how to read, write, and understand any language as well as students that have
their hearing, would not the world, and many even
of the learned part of it, say that nothing could be
more extravagantly wild, more mad and frantic?
The learned Dr. Wallis, geometry professor of Oxford, did first of all lay down this proposition, and
was counted by many to have overshot the point of
learning, and to have been the author of a whimsical
thesis. And I should not have wondered if, after a
man's having asserted this might be done before it
was actually done, some blind devout people in those
days had accused him of heresy, and of attributing to
men a power of working miracles. The notion of the
antipodes was by the most learned men of the age in
which St. Augustine lived, and by the great St.
Austin himself, treated in no milder a manner; yet
if the ability of teaching the deaf and the dumb a
language proved a truth in experience afterwards,
ought not those to turn their contempt into admiration, ought not those very people to vote him into
the Royal Society for laying down the proposition,
who, before it proved true, in fact, would have been
very forward to have sent him to Bedlam? The
first instance of this accomplishment in a dumb person was provea before King Charles II. by this same
Dr. Wallis, who was a fellow of the Royal Society,
and one of the most ingenious of that society.
But notwithstanding this, should I come afterwards and say, that there is now living a deaf and
dumb man, and born so, who could by dint of his
[ xxxvi ]




AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION


own genius teach all others deaf and dumb to read,
write, and converse with the talking and hearing part
of mankind, some would, I warrant, very religiously
conclude, that I was about to introduce some strange
new miracle-monger and impostor into the world,
with a design of setting up some new sect of antiChristianism as formidable as that of Brahmans.
Should I proceed still farther and say, that this same
person, so deaf and dumb, might be able also to show
a presaging power, or kind of prophetical genius (if I
may be allowed the expression) by telling any strange
persons he never saw before in his life, their names at
first sight in writing, and by telling them the past
actions of their lives, and predicting to them determined truths of future contingencies, notwithstanding what divines say, that "in futuris contingentibus
non datur determinata veritas," would not they conclude that I was going to usher in a new Mahomet?
Since, therefore, there does exist such a man in London, who actually is deaf and dumb, and was born
so; who does write and read, and converse as well as
anybody; who teaches others deaf and dumb to
write and read and converse with anybody; who
likewise can, by a presaging gift, set down in writing
the name of any stranger at first sight, tell him his
past actions, and predict his future occurrences in
fortune; and since he has practised this talent as a
profession with great success for a long series of
years upon innumerable persons in every state and
vocation in life, from the peeress to the waitingwoman, and from the lady mayoress to the milliner
and sempstress, will it not be wonderfully entertain[ xxxvii ]




AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION


ing to give the world a perfect history of this so
singular a man's life? And while we are relating
the pleasant adventures with such prodigious variety,
can anything be more agreeably instructive in a new
way than to intersperse the reasons, and account for
the manner how nature, having a mind to be remarkable, performs by him acts so mysterious?
I have premised this introduction, compounded of
the merry and the serious, with the hopes of engaging
many curious people of all sorts to be my readers,
even from the airy nice peruser of novels and romances, neatly bound and finely gilt, to the grave
philosopher, that is daily thumbing over the musty
and tattered pieces of more solid antiquity. I have
all the wonders to tell that such a merry kind of a
prophet has told, to entertain the fancies of the first
gay tribe, by which means I may entice them into
some solid knowledge and judgment of human nature; and I have several solid disquisitions of learning to make, accounting for the manner of these
mysterious operations, never touched upon before in
due form and order by the hands of the ancient or
modern sages, that I may bribe the judgment of this
last grave class so far as to endure the intermixing
entertainment with their severer studies.


[ xxxviii ]




THE HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND
SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF
MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL




0




THE HISTORY OF the LIFE AND
SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF
MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL
CHAPTER ONE
MR. CAMPBELL'S DESCENT, FAMILY, BIRTH, ETC.
O F the goodness and antiquity of the
name and family of this gentleman,
nobody can ever make any question.
He is a Campbell, lineally descended
from the house of Argyll, and bears a distant relation to the present duke of that name in Scotland,
and who is now constituted a duke of England, by
the style and title of Duke of Greenwich.
It happens frequently that the birth of extraordinary persons is so long disputed by different people,
each claiming him for their own, that the real place
where he first took breath grows at last dubious.
And thus it fares with the person who is the subject
of the following sheets; as, therefore, it is my
proposal to have a strict regard to historical faith,
so I am obliged to tell the reader that I can with
no certainty give an account of him till after he was
three years old, from which age I knew him even to
this day. I will answer for the truths which I
impart to the public during that time, and as for
[s]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


his birth and the circumstances of it, and how the
first three years of his life passed, I can only deliver
them the same account I have received from others,
and leave them to their own judgments, whether it
ought to be deemed real or fabulous.
The father of our Mr. Duncan Campbell (as these
relate the story) was from his infancy of a very
curious inquisitive nature, and of an enterprising
genius, and if he heard of anything surprising to be
seen, the difficulty in practice was enough to recommend to him the attempting to get a sight of it
at any rate or any hazard. It is certain that during
some civil broils and troubles in Scotland, the grandfather of our Mr. Campbell was driven with his
wife and family, by the fate of war, into the isle of
Shetland, where he lived many years, and during his
residence there, Mr. Archibald Campbell, the father
of our Duncan Campbell, was born.
'Shetland lies north-east from Orkney, between 60
and 61 degrees of latitude. The largest isle of
Shetland, by the natives called the Mainland, is
sixty miles in length, from south-west to the northeast, and from sixteen to one mile in breadth.
The people who live in the smaller isles have
abundance of eggs and fowl, which contributes to
maintain their families during the summer.
The ordinary folks are mostly very nimble and
active in climbing the rocks in quest of those eggs
and fowl. This exercise is far more diverting than
hunting and hawking among us, and would certainly,
for the pleasure of it, be followed by people of
greater distinction, was it not attended with very
[4]




A WAY OF FOWLING


great dangers, sufficient to turn sport into sorrow,
and which have often proved fatal to those who too
eagerly pursue their game. Mr. Archibald Campbell, however, delighted extremely in this way of
fowling, and used to condescend to mix with the
common people for company, because none of the
youths of his rank and condition were venturesome
enough to go along with him.
The most remarkable experiment of this sort is at
the isle called the Noss of Brassah. The Noss
standing at sixteen fathom distance from the side of
the opposite main, the higher and lower rocks have
two stakes fastened in each of them, and to these
there are ropes tied; upon the ropes there is an
engine hung, which they call a cradle, and in this a
man makes his way over from the greater to the
smaller rocks, where he makes a considerable purchase
of eggs and fowl; but his return being by an ascent
makes it the more dangerous, though those on the
great rock have a rope tied to the cradle, by which
they draw it and the man safe over for the most part.
Over this rock Mr. Archibald Campbell and five
others were in that matter let down by cradles and
ropes; but before they could be all drawn back again
it grew dark, and their associates not daring to be
benighted, were forced to withdraw, and Mr. Campbell was the unfortunate person left behind, having
wandered too far, and not minded how the day
declined, being intent on his game. He passed that
night, you may easily guess, without much sleep,
and with great anxiety of heart. The night, too, as
he lay in the open air, was, to add to his misfortunes,
[5]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


as boisterous and tempestuous as his own mind; but
in the end the tempest proved very happy for him.
The reader is to understand that the Hamburghers,
Bremeners, and Hollanders, carry on a great fish
trade there. Accordingly, a Holland vessel that was
just coming in the sound of Brassah, was by this
tempest driven into a creek of the rock, which nature
had made into a harbour, and they were providentially saved from the bottom of the sea by a rock,
from which, humanly speaking, they could expect
nothing but destruction, and being sent to the bottom
of that sea. As never could a man be taken hold of
with so sudden and surprising a disaster, so nobody
could meet with a more sudden and surprising relief
than Mr. Campbell found when he saw a ship so near.
He made to the vessel, and begged the Hollanders
to take him in. They asked him what he would give
them, "or," said the barbarous sailors, "we will even
leave you where you are." He told them his disaster,
but they asked money, and nothing else would move
them. As he knew them a self-interested people, he
bethought himself that if he should tell them of the
plenty of fowls and eggs they would get there, he
might not only be taken in a passenger, but made a
partner in the money arising from the stock. It
succeeded accordingly: when he proposed it, the
whole crew were all at work, and in four hours, pretty
well stored the vessel, and then, returning on board,
set sail for Holland. They offered Mr. Campbell to
put him in at his own island, but having a mind to
see Holland, and, being a partner, to learn their way
of merchandise, which he thought he might turn to
[6]




A DISAPPEARANCE


his countrymen's advantage, he told them he would
go the voyage out with them, and see the country of
those who were his deliverers, a necessary way of
speech, when one has a design to soothe barbarians,
who but for interest would have left him unredeemed,
and, for aught they knew, a perpetual sole inhabitant
of a dreadful rock, encompassed round with precipices, some three hundred fathom high. Not so the
islanders (who are wrongly called a savage set of
mortals); no, they came in quest of him after so
bitter a night, not doubting to find him, but fearing
to find him in a lamentable condition. They hunted
and ransacked every little hole and corner in the
rock, but all in vain; in one place they saw a great
slaughter of fowls, enough to serve forty families for
a week, and then they guessed, though they had not
the ill fortune to meet the eagles frequently noted
to hover about those isles, that they might have
devoured part of him on some precipice of the rock,
and dropped the remnant into the sea. Night came
upon them, and they were afraid of falling into the
same disaster they went to relieve Mr. Campbell
from. They returned each to their proper basket,
and were drawn up safe by their respective friends,
who were amazed that one basket was drawn up
empty which was let down for Mr. Campbell, and
that there was not the least intelligence to be had
concerning him, but the supposititious story of his
having been devoured by eagles. The story was told
at home, and with the lamentation of the whole
family, and all his friends, he was looked upon to
be murdered or dead.
[7]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


Return we now to Mr. Archibald Campbell, still
alive, and on board the Holland vessel, secure, as he
thought within himself, that from the delivery he.
lately had by the gift of Providence, he was not intended to be liable to any more misfortunes and
dangers of life, in the compass of so small a voyage.
But his lot was placed otherwise in the book of fate
than he too fondly imagined; his time of happiness
was dated some pages lower down, and more rubs
and difficulties were to be encountered with before
his stars intended to lead him to the port of felicity.
Just as he arrived within sight of Amsterdam a
terrible storm arose, and, in danger of their lives
for many hours, they weathered out the tempest,
and a calm promising fair afresh, they made to the
coast of Zealand; but a new hurricane prevented
the ship from coming there also, and after having
lost their masts and rigging, they were driven into
Lapland. There they went ashore in order to careen
and repair their ship, and take in provisions. While
the ship was repairing by the Dutch, our islander
made merry with the inhabitants, being the most
inclined to their superstitious customs; he there
became acquainted with a very beautiful woman,
who fell in love with him, and after a very short
space of time he married her. About the time when
the ship departed, his wife, who was very rich, was
big with child of a son, namely, Mr. Duncan Campbell. He wrote a letter, by the master of the
vessel, to his parents in Shetland, concerning the
various adventures he had met with, which was delivered the June following, about the time of fish[8]




STORY OF ADVENTURE


ing, to his parents, and several persons had copies
thereof; and, for aught I know, some retain them to
this very day; sure I am, that many remember the
particulars of this surprising affair, who are now
living in that island.
The letter being very remarkable and singular in
all its circumstances, I shall present it the reader,
word for word, as it was given into my hands, together with some others which he wrote afterwards,
in all which I am assured, by very credible persons
and undoubted authorities, there are not the least
alterations but what the version of it from the then
Scotch manner of expression into a more modern
English dress made absolutely necessary.
MY DEAREST FATHER, - The same odd variety of
accident which put it out of my power to be personally present with you for so long a time, put it
likewise out of my power to write to you. At last
fortune has so ordered it, that I can send a letter to
you before I can come myself, and it is written expressly to tell you the adventures I have met with,
which have detained me this tedious space of time
from my dear father, and because the same captain of
a ship that brings you this, might as easily have
brought your son to speak for himself. I shall in the
next place lay before you the necessity there is for my
stay a little longer among the strange natives of the
country where I now inhabit, and where I am in a
manner become naturalised.
You have, no doubt of it, been informed by my
companions, some of whom I hope got safe back
[9]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


again, if not all, that I was lost where many a brave
man has perished before me, by going over the high
precipices of the mountain Brassah in a basket, sliding down by a rope. I must suppose I have given
you the anguish of a father for a son, who you thought
had lost his life by such a foolhardy attempt, and I
implore your pardon with all the power of filial contrition, penitence, and duty. You have always showed
me such singular marks of paternal affection that I
know your receipt of this letter will fill your heart
with joy, and cause you to sign me an absolution and
free pardon for all the errors I have committed, and
think the sufferings I have undergone for my rashness and indiscretion a sufficient atonement for my
crime of making you, by my undutifulness, a partner
of my sorrows. To free you the more from this uneasiness, I know I need only tell you that every grief
of mine is gone excepting one, which is, that I must
still lose the pleasure of seeing you a little longer.
There was never surely a more bitter night than that
which must by me be for ever remembered, when I
was lost in the mountain of Brassah, where I must,
for aught I know, have lived for ever, a wild single
inhabitant, but that the storm which made the night
so uneasy to me, rendered the first approach of daylight beyond measure delightful. The first providential glimpse of the morning gave me a view of a ship
driven by the tempest into a creek of the rock that
was by nature formed like a harbour; a miraculous
security of deliverance as I thought, both for the ship's
crew and myself. I made all the haste I could, you
may be sure, to them, and I found them to be Dutch[ 10




UMA LAPMARK


men that were come for fish; but in lieu of fish I instructed them to load it with eggs and fowl, which
we compassed very happily in a short space of time,
and I was to be a sharer with the captain in the
lading, and bargained to go for Holland to see the
sale and nature of the traffic; but when we were at
sea, after much bad weather, we made towards Zealand, but we were driven upon the coast of Finland
by a new storm, and thence to Lapland, where I now
am, and from whence I send you this letter.
I could not come into a place so properly named
for my reception. As I had been undutiful to you,
and fortune seemed to make me an exile or a banished
man, by way of punishment for the vices of my youth;
so Lapland (which is a word originally derived from
the Finland word, lappi, that is, exiles, and from the
Swedish word, lap, signifying banished, from which
two kingdoms most of our inhabitants were banished
hither for not embracing the Christian religion) was
certainly the properest country in the world to receive
me.
When first I entered this country I thought I was
got into quite another world. The men are all of
them pigmies to our tall, brawny Highlanders; they
are, generally speaking, not above three cubits high,
insomuch that though the whole country of Lapland
is immensely large, and I have heard it eckoned by
the inhabitants to be above a hundred German
leagues in length, and fourscore and ten in breadth,
yet I was the tallest man there, and looked upon as a
giant. The district in which I live now is called Uma
Lapmark.
[11]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


You must understand, sir, that when I landed at
North Cape, in Kimi Lapmark, another district of
Lapland, there was at that time a most beautiful
lady come to see a sick relation of her father's, who
was prefect or governor of Uma Lapmark, which is a
post of great distinction. This lady, by being frequently in the company of French merchants, who
traffic now and then in that province of Uma Lapmark, understood French, and having heard of a man
six feet and a half high, desired to see me, and when
I came she happened mightily to like my person;
and she talked French, which when I answered she
made great signs of joy that she could communicate
her sentiments to me, and she told me who she was,
how rich, and that not one in the company besides
could understand a syllable we said, and so I might
speak my mind freely to her. She told me the customs of the country, that it was divided into cantons,
like our shires, and those cantons into rekars, or certain grounds allotted to families that are just like
our clans. As she was beyond measure beautiful,
she was extremely good-humoured (a thing rarely to
be met among Lapland women), of a better stature
than her countrywomen, and very rich and of good
birth. I thought it would be a prodigious turn of
fortune for a man in my circumstances, if I could
make any progress in her heart, which she seemed a
little to open to me, in such a manner, for the beginning, as if such a successful event, if managed with
prudence, might not be despaired of. Souls that are
generous are apt to love, and compassion is the best
introducer of love into a generous bosom, and that
[12]




COURTSHIP IN LAPLAND


was the best stock I had to go upon in my courtship.
I told her of all my calamities, my dangers, and my
escapes; the goodness of my birth, as being allied
to one of the greatest nobles in our island; and still
she would ask me to tell it her over again, though
every time I told it, just at such passages, she was
forced to drop the tears from her eyes. In fine, I
grew more in love with her, out of a sense of gratitude now, than by the power of her charms before.
The matter in a few days went so far that she owned
to me I had her heart. As to marriage, I did not
then know the custom of the nation; I thought that
if it proved only dangerous to me, I loved her so well
that I intended to marry her, though the law was
to pronounce me dead for it; but I did not know
whether it might not be perilous for her too to engage in such a state with me, and I resolved in that
case rather to be singly unhappy than to involve her
in distress and make her the fair companion of my
woes. I would not tell her so for fear she should,
out of love, hide from me those dangers, and therefore, using a kind sort of dissimulation, I conjured
her to tell me the laws and customs of marriages in
that country to a tittle, and that nothing should
hinder us from happiness. She told me exactly as
I find since. "Our marriage," said she, "will be
very hard to compass, provided we follow the strict
rule of the country; for our women here are bound
not to see the man who makes their addresses to
them in some time. His way of courtship is to come
to the parents, and his nearest friends and relations
must make her father presents, and supplicate him
[ 13]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


like a king to grant him his daughter. The courtship often lasts two or three years, and sometimes
has not its effect at last; but if it has, the woman
is dragged by her father and brother to church, as
unwilling to go to be married, which is looked upon
as a greater part of modesty in her according to the
greater disinclination she shows. My father and
brother," said she, "will both be against it; you
have no relations in this country to move your suit;
I cannot be so hypocritical as to be dragged unwillingly to him I own I desire for my lawful husband,
and therefore, as I have an inclination to you, and I
dare own I have, I will not follow those methods
which I disapprove. I have talked with several
Swedes and several polite Frenchmen about their
manner of espousals, and I am told that when souls
are naturally united by affection, the couple so mutually and reciprocally loving, though they had rather
have their parents' leave if likely to be got, yet, unwilling to be disappointed, only go to the next ministers and marry for better for worse. This way I
approve of, for where two persons naturally love each
other, the rest is nothing but a modest restraint to
their wishes, and since it is only custom, my own
reason teaches me there is no error committed, nor any
harm done in breaking through it, upon so commendable an occasion. I have," added she, "4a thousand
reindeer belonging to me beyond my father's power
of taking away, and a third share in a rekar or clan,
that is ten leagues in compass, in the byar or canton
of Uma Lapmark. This is at my own disposal, and
it is all your own if you please to accept of it with
[ 14 ]




MARRIAGE IN LAPLAND


me. Our women are very coy when they are courted,
though they have never so much an inclination to
their suitor; but good reason and the commerce I
have had with persons of politer nations than ours
is, teach me that this proceeds entirely from vanity
and affectation, and the greatest proof of a woman's
modesty, chastity, and sincerity certainly consists (contrary to the general corrupted opinion) in yielding up
herself into the arms of the man she loves. For she
that can dally with a heart she prizes, can give away
her heart (when she is once baulked) to any man, even
though she dislikes him." You must judge, my dear
father, I must be touched with a woman that was
exceeding beautiful beyond any of her nation, and
who had thoughts as beautiful as her person. I therefore was all in rapture, and longed for the matrimony,
but still loved her enough to propose the question I
resolved to her, viz., if it would not be in her nation
accounted a clandestine marriage, and prove of great
damage to her.
To this she answered with all the wisdom which
could be expected from a woman who had given such
eminent tokens of her judgment on other points,
amidst a nation so barbarous in its manners, and so
corrupt in its principles, as Lapland is. "I am,"
said she, "answerable to my father for nothing by
our laws, having no portion of him, but only what
was presented me by my relations at my birth,
according to custom, in lands and reindeer. My
father is but deputy-governor; it is a Swede who is
the Governor of Uma, and if I pay to him at every
mart and fair the due tribute, which must either
[ 15 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


consist of fifty reindeer or one hundred and fifty rixdollars, he will have the priest that marries us present at the court of justice, according to our custom,
and keep us in possession of our rights, that we may
be enabled to pay tribute to the crown of Sweden.
Indeed, before the abolition of the birkarti, which
were our native judges, we could not have married
thus without danger to us both; but now there is
none at all."
My dear father, you must easily imagine that I
could not help embracing with all tenderness so dear
and so lovely a woman. In fine, I am married to
her. I have lived very happily hitherto, and am now
grown more happy, for she is big with child; and
likely, before my letter comes to your hands, to
make you a grandfather of a pretty boy. You will
perhaps wonder that I name the sex of the child
before it comes into the world; but we have a way in
Lapland of finding that out, which, though some judicious people call superstitious, I am really persuaded
of by experience, and therefore I indulged my dear
wife's curiosity when she signified to me she had a
mind to make the usual trial whether the child she
was going to be delivered of would be a boy or a
girl.
You must understand, my dear father, the people
here judge of the sex of the child by the moon, unto
which they compare a big-bellied woman. If they
see a star appear just above the moon, it is a sign it
willbe a boy, but, if the star be just below the moon,
they conjecture her to be big with a girl. This observation and remark of Laplanders have, I know,
[16]




PROGNOSTICATIONS


been accounted by some, and those wise and judicious
men too, to be ridiculously superstitious; but I have
been led into an easy belief of this mystery by a
mistress that is superior to wisdom itself, constant,
and therefore probably infallible, experience. I therefore indulged my wife in this her request, and went
with her to the ceremony. The star appeared above
the moon, which prognosticates a boy, which I wish
may, and I scarce doubt will, prove true; and when
she is brought to bed I will send you word of it.
It is remarkable, likewise, that a star was seen just
before the moon, which we also count a very good
omen; for it is a custom likewise here in Lapland
to consult the moon as an oracle about the health
and vigour of the child. If a star be seen just
before the moon we count it a sign of a lusty and
well-grown child, without blemish; if a star comes
just after, we reckon it a token that the child will
have some defect or deformity, or die soon after it
is born.
Having thus told you the manners of the country
I live in at present, as much at large as the space of
a letter will permit, and related to you my own
happy circumstances, and the kindly promises of the
heavens that are ushering in the birth of my child,
I would not have you think that I addict myself to
the superstitions of the country, which are very
many and groundless, and arising partly from the
remainder of Pagan worship, which is still cultivated
among some of the more obstinate inhabitants. I
have, on the contrary, since I married her, endeavoured to repay my wife's temporal blessings to me
2               [17]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


with those that are endless, instructed her in all the
points of religion, and made her perfectly a Christian;
and she, by her devotion and prayers for me, makes
me such amends for it that I hope in us two St.
Paul's saying will be verified, viz., that the woman
shall be sanctified in her husband, and the husband
shall be sanctified in his wife.
However, I must take notice in this place, with
all due deference to Christianity, that though I am
obliged to applaud the prudence and piety of Charles
the Ninth of Sweden, who, constituting Swedish governors over this country, abrogated their practice
of superstitions and art-magic upon pain of death,
yet that king carried the point too far, and intermingled with these arts the pretensions to the gift
of a second sight, which you know how frequent it
is with us in Scotland, and which, I assure you, my
wife (though she durst not publicly own it for fear
of incurring the penalty of those Swedish laws) does, as
it were, inherit (for all her ancestors before her have
had it from time immemorial) to a greater degree than
ever I knew any of our countrywomen or countrymen.
One day this last week she distracted me between
the extremes of joy and sorrow. She told me I
should see you shortly, and that my coming son
would grow to be one of the most remarkable men
in England and Scotland for his power of foresight;
but that I should speedily lose her, and meet with
difficulties in my own country in the same manner
as my father (meaning you, sir) had done before me,
and on the same account, viz., of civil broils and
intestine wars in Scotland.
[18]




A REMARKABLE CHILD


These unfortunate parts of her relation I would
not conceal from you, because the veracity of her
notions should appear, if they are true, though you
may be sure I much wish they all may prove false to
the very last, excepting that wherein she tells me my
son will be greatly remarkable, and that I shall
shortly see my dear father, which I daily long for,
and will endeavour to do, as soon as possible. Pray
remember me to all friends; being, honoured sir,
your most dutiful and loving son,
ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL.
The Second Letter.
I am now the happiest man alive; the prosperous
part of my wife's predictions, which I mentioned to
you in my last, is come in some measure to pass.
The child she has brought me is a boy, and as fine a
one as ever I beheld, if fondness for my own makes
me not blind; and sure it cannot be fondness, because other plain circumstances joined at his birth to
prove it more than an ordinary remarkable one. He
was born with a caul upon his head, which we count
one of the luckiest signs that can be in nature; he
had likewise three teeth ready cut through the gums,
and we reckon that an undeniable testimony and
promise given to the world by Nature that she intends such a person for her extraordinary favourite,
and that he is born for great things, which I daily
beg of Heaven may come to pass.
Since I have known for some months what it is to
be a father, it adds a considerable weight to those
[19]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


affections which I had for my wife. I thought that
my tenderness for her was at the height of perfection
before; which shows how little we know of those
parts of nature that we have yet never tried, and of
which we have not yet been allotted our share to act
upon the stage of life. I find that I did love her
then as well as a husband could love a wife, that is,
a wife without a child; but the love to a wife that
has a child is a feeling wonderful and inexpressibly
different. A child is the seal and pledge of love.
Meditating upon this has likewise doubled my affection for you. I loved you before as a son, and because as such I felt your tenderness, but my love is
much increased now, because I know the tenderness
which you felt for me as a father. With these
pleasing images of thought I often keep you nearer
company at this vast distance than when I lived
irregularly under your eye. These reflections render
a solitary life dear to me; and though I have no
manner of acquaintance with her relations, who hate
me, as I am told, nor indeed with almost any of the
inhabitants but my own domestics and those I am
forced to deal with, yet I have as much, methinks,
as I wish for, unless I could come over to Shetland,
and live with you, which I the more ardently desire,
because I think I and my wife could be true comforts to you in your advanced years, now I know
what living truly is. I am daily persuading my wife
to go with me, but she denies me with kind expressions, and says she owes too much to the place
(however less pleasant in itself than other climates)
where she had the happiness of first joining hands
[20]




HOPE AND GRIEF


with me in wedlock, ever to part from it. But I
must explain how I ask, and how she refuses. I resolved never directly and downrightly to ask her,
because I know she can refuse me nothing, and that
would be bearing hard upon the goodness of her will;
but my way of persuading her consists in endeavouring to make her in love with the place by agreeable
descriptions of it, and likewise of the humane temper
of the people, so that I shortly shall induce her to
signify to me that it is her own will to come with
me, and then I shall seem rather to consent to her
will than to have moved it over to my own. These
hopes I have of seeing my dear father shortly, and I
know such news would make this letter which I therefore send more acceptable to him, to whom I will be
a most dutiful and affectionate son till death.
ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL.
P. S.- If I cannot bring my wife to change this
country for another, I have brought her to that pitch
of devotion that whenever Providence, which notwithstanding her predictions, I hope will be long yet, shall
call her to change this world for another, it will be
happy with her there. She joins with me in begging
your blessing to me, herself, and our little Duncan,
whom we christened so out of a respect to the name
you bear.
The Third Letter.
MY DEAR FATHER, - I am lost in grief: I had just
brought my wife (her that was my wife, for I have
none now, I have lost all joy) in the mind of coming
[ 21 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


over to be a comfort to you. But now grief will let
me say no more than that I am coming to beg comfort from you, and by this I prepare you to receive,
when he comes, a son in tears and mourning.
ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL.
P. S. -I have a babe, not much above two years
old, must bear the hardships of travelling over the ice,
and all through Muscovy, for no ships can stir here
for many months; and I cannot bear to live in this
inhospitable place, where she died that only could
make it easy to me, one moment beyond the first opportunity I have of leaving it. She is in heaven;
that should make me easy, but I cannot, I am not so
good a Christian as she was - I am lost and ruined.


[ 22 ]




CHAPTER TWO


AFTER THE DEATH OF MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL S MOTHER
IN LAPLAND, HIS FATHER ARCHIBALD RETURNED
WITH HIS SON TO SCOTLAND. HIS SECOND MARRIAGE, AND HOW HIS SON WAS TAUGHT TO WRITE
AND READ.
M          R. ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, having buried his Lapland lady, returned
to Scotland, and brought over with
him his son, Mr. Duncan Campbell.
By that time he had been a year in his own country
he married a second wife, a lady whom I had known
very well for some years, and then I first saw the boy;
but as they went into the western islands, I saw them
not again in three years. She being, quite contrary
to the cruel way much in use among stepmothers,
very fond of the boy, was accustomed to say she did
and would always think him her own son. The child
came to be about four years of age (as she has related
to me the story since), and not able to speak one word,
nor to hear any noise; the father of him used to be
mightily oppressed with grief, and complain heavily
to his new wife, who was no less perplexed that a boy
so pretty, the son of so particular a woman, whom he
had made his wife, by strange accidents and adventures, and a child coming into the world with so many
[2e]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


amazing circumstances attending his birth, should
lose those precious senses by which alone the social
commerce of mankind is upheld and maintained, and
that he should be deprived of all advantages of education which could raise him to the character of
being the great man that so many concurring incidents at his nativity promised and betokened he
would be.
One day a learned divine, who was of the university of Glasgow, but had visited Oxford, and been
acquainted with the chief men of science there, happening to be in conversation with the mother-in-law
of this child, she related to him her son's misfortunes,
with so many marks of sorrow, that she moved the
good old gentleman's compassion, and excited in him
a desire to give her what relief and consolation he
could, in this unhappy case. His particular inclination to do her good offices made him recollect that at
the time he was at Oxford he had been in company
with one Dr. Wallis, a man famous for learning, who
had told him that he had taught a man (born deaf
and dumb) to write and to read, and even to utter some
words articulately with his mouth; and that he told
him he was then going to commit to print the method
he made use of in so instructing that person, that
others in the like unfortunate condition might receive the same benefits and advantages from other
masters which his deaf and dumb pupil had received
from him. A dumb man recovering his speech, or a
blind man gaining his sight, or a deaf one getting his
hearing, could not be more overjoyed than Mrs. Campbell was at these unexpected tidings, and she wept for
[24




INSTINCTIVE REJOICING


gladness when he told it. The good gentleman animated and encouraged her with the kindest promises;
and to keep alive her hopes assured her he would
send to one of the chief booksellers in London, to inquire after the book, who would certainly procure it
him, if it was to be got; and that afterwards he would
peruse it diligently, make himself master of Dr.
Wallis's method, and though he had many great
works upon his hands at that time, he would steal from
his other studies leisure enough to complete so charitable an object as teaching the dumb and deaf to read
and to write, and give her son, who was by nature deprived of them, the advantages of speech, as far as art
would permit that natural defect to be supplied by
her powerful interposition.
When the mother came home, the child, who could
hear no knocking, and therefore it must be by a
strange and inexplicable instinct in nature, was the
first that ran to the door, and falling in a great fit
of laughter (a thing it was not much used to before,
having on the contrary rather a melancholy cast of
complexion), it clung round its mother's knees, incessantly embracing and kissing them, as if just at
that time it had an insight into what the mother
had been doing for it, and into its own approaching
relief from its misery.
When the mother came with the child in her hand
to the father to tell him the welcome news, the child
burst afresh into a great fit of laughter, which continued for an unusual space of time; and the scene
of such reciprocal affection and joy between a wife
and her own husband, on so signal an occasion, is a
[25]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


thing easier to be felt by parents of a good disposition, imagining themselves under the same circumstance, with regard to a child they loved with
fondness, than to be expressed or described by the
pen of any writer. But it is certain, whenever they
spoke of this affair, as anybody who knows the impatience of parents for the welfare of an only child
may guess they must be often discoursing it over,
and wishing the time was come, the boy, who used
seldom so much as to smile at other times, and who
could never hear the greatest noise that could be
made, would constantly look wishfully in their faces
and laugh immoderately, which is a plain indication
that there was then a wonderful instinct in nature,
as I said before, which made him foretaste his good
fortune; and, if I may be allowed the expression,
the dawnings, as it were, of the second-sight were
then pregnant within him.
To confirm this, the happy hour of his deliverance being come, and the doctor having procured
Mr. Wallis's book, came with great joy, and desired
to see his pupil. Scarce were the words out of his
mouth, when the child happened to come into the
room, and running towards the doctor, fell on his
knees, kissed his hand eagerly, and laughed as before,
which to me is a demonstration that he had an insight into the good which the doctor intended him.
It is certain that several learned men, who have
written concerning the second-sight, have demonstrated by incontestable proofs and undeniable arguments, that children, nay, even horses and cows, see
the second-sight, as well as men and women ad[26]




PRECOCITY


vanced in years. But of this I shall discourse at large
in its proper place, having allotted a whole future
chapter for that same subject of second-sightedness.
In about half a year, the doctor taught his little
dumb pupil, first to know his letters, then to name
anything whatsoever, to leave off some savage
motions which he had taken of his own accord before,
to signify his mind by, and to impart his thoughts
by his fingers and his pen, in a manner as intelligible,
and almost as swift through the eyes, as that is of
conveying our ideas to one another by our voices,
through the conduits and port-holes of the ears.
But in little more than two years, he could write
and read as well as anybody. Because a great many
people cannot conceive this, and others pretend it is
not to be done in nature, I will a little discourse
upon Dr. Wallis's foundation, and show, in a manner
obvious to the most ignorant, how this hitherto
mysterious help may be easily administered to the
deaf and the dumb, which shall be the subject of
the ensuing chapter.
But I cannot conclude this without telling the
handsome saying with which this child, when not
quite six years old, as soon as he thought he could
express himself well, paid his first acknowledgment
to his master, and which promised how great his
future genius was to be, when so witty a child
ripened into man. The words he wrote to him were
these, only altered into English from the Scotch: —
"SIB,- It is no little work you have accomplished. My thanks are too poor amends; the
[27]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


world, sir, shall give you thanks; for as I could
not have expressed myself without your teaching
me, so those that can talk, though they have eyes,
cannot see the things which I can see, and shall tell
them; so that in doing me this, you have done a
general service to mankind."


[28]




CHAPTER THREE


THE METHOD OF TEACHING DEAF AND DUMB PERSONS
TO WRITE, READ, AND UNDERSTAND A LANGUAGE.
T is, I must confess, in some measure amazing
to me, that men of any moderate share of
learning should not naturally conceive of
themselves a plain reason for this art, and
know how to account for the practicability of it, the
moment they hear the proposition advanced; the
reasons for it are so obvious to the very first consideration we can make about it. It will be likewise as
amazing to me, that the most ignorant should not
conceive it, after so plain a reason is given them for
it as I am now going to set down.
To begin. How are children at first taught a
language that can hear? Are they not taught by
sounds? And what are those sounds but tokens and
signs to the ear, importing and signifying such and
such a thing? If, then, there can be signs made to
the eye, agreed by the party teaching the child, that
they signify such and such a thing, will not the eye
of the child convey them to the mind, as well as the
ear? They are, indeed, different marks to different
senses, but both the one and the other do equally
signify the same things or notions, according to the
will of the teacher, and consequently must have an
[291




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


equal effect with the person who is to be instructed;
for though the manners of signifying are different,
the things signified are the same.
For example: If, after having invented an alphabet upon the fingers, a master always keeps company
with a deaf child, and teaches it to call for whatsoever it wants, by such motions of the fingers which,
if put down by letters, according to each invented
motion of each finger, would form in writing a word
of a thing, which it wanted; might not he by these
regular motions teach its eye the same notions of
things as sounds do to the ears of children that
hear? The manner of teaching the alphabet by
fingers is plainly set down in the following table.'
When the deaf child has learned by these motions
a good stock of words, as children that hear first
learn by sounds, we may methinks call not improperly the fingers of such a dumb infant its mouth, and
the eye of such a deaf child its ear. When he has
learned thus far, he must be taught to write the
alphabet, according as it was adapted to the motions
of his fingers. As for instance, the five vowels, a, e,
i, o, u, by pointing to the top of the five fingers; and
the other letters, b, c, d, &c., by such other place or
posture of a finger, as in the above-mentioned table
is set forth or otherwise, as shall be agreed upon.
When this is done, the marks B, R, E, A, D (and so
of all other words), corresponding with such fingers,
conveys through his eyes unto his head the same
notion, viz., the things signified, as the sounds we
1 The table illustrating the positions of the fingers has not
been reproduced in this edition.
[SO]




DEAF-MUTES MAY BE TAUGHT


give those same letters, making the word "Bread,"
do into our heads through the ears.
This once done, he may be easily taught to understand the parts of speech, as the verb, the noun,
pronoun, &c., and so by rules of grammar and syntax to compound ideas, and connect his words into
a language. The method of which, since it is plainly
set forth in Dr. Wallis's letter to Mr. Beverley, I
shall set it down by way of extract, that people in
the same circumstances with the person we treat of,
and of the like genius, may not have their talents
lost for want of the like assistance.
When once a deaf person has learned so far as to
understand the common discourse of others, and
to express his mind tolerably well in writing, I see
no room to doubt, but that (provided nature has
endowed him with a proper strength of genius, as
other men that hear) he may become capable, upon
further improvement, of such further knowledge as
is attainable by reading. For I must here join with
the learned Dr. Wallis, in asserting (as the present
case before us) that no reason can be assigned why
such a deaf person may not attain the understanding
of a language as perfectly as those that hear; and
with the same learned author I take upon me to lay
down this proposition as certain, that allowing the
deaf person the like time and exercise as to other
men is requisite in order to attain the perfection of
a language, and the elegance of it, he may understand as well, and write as good language as other
men, and abating only what doth depend upon
sound, as tones, cadences, and such punctilios, no
[81 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL
whit inferior to what he may attain to, if he had his
hearing as others have.
AN EXTRACT FROM DR. WALLIS, CONCERNING THE
METHOD OF TEACHING THE DEAF AND DUMB
TO READ.
It is most natural, as children learn the names of
things, to furnish him, by degrees, with a nomenclature, containing a competent number of names of
things common and obvious to the eye, that you
may show the thing answering to such a name, and
these digested under convenient titles, and placed
under them  in such convenient order, in several
columns, or other orderly situation in the paper, as
by their position best to express to the eye their
relation or respect to one another: as contraries, or
correlatives, one against the other, subordinates or
appurtenances under their principle, which may serve
as a kind of local memory.
Thus, in one paper, under the title "Mankind,"
may be placed, not confusedly, but in decent order,
man, woman, child (boy, girl).
In another paper, under the title "c Body," may be
written, in like convenient order, head (hair, skin,
ear), face, forehead, eye (eyelid, eyebrow), cheek,
nose (nostril), mouth (lip, chin), neck, throat, back,
breast, side (right side, left side), belly, shoulders,
arm (elbow, wrist, hand), back (palm), finger (thumb,
knuckle, nail), thigh, knee, leg (shin, calf, ankle),
foot (heel, sole), toe.
And when he hath learned the import of words in
each paper, let him write them in like manner in dis[32]




REMARKS OF DR. WALLIS


tinct leaves or pages of a book prepared for that
purpose, to confirm his memory, and to have recourse
to it upon occasion.
In a third paper you may give him the " Inward
Parts," as skull (brain), throat (windpipe, gullet),
stomach, guts, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidney,
bladder (urine), vein (blood), bone (marrow), flesh,
fat, &c.
In another paper, under the title " Beast," may be
placed horse (stone-horse, gelding, mare, colt), bull
(ox), cow, calf. Sheep, ram (wether), ewe (lamb),
hog, boar, sow, pig, dog (mastiff, hound, greyhound,
spaniel), bitch (whelp, puppy), hare, rabbit, cat,
mouse, rat, &c.
Under the title "Bird" or "Fowl" put cock,
capon, hen, chick, goose (gander), gosling, duck
(drake), swan, crow, kite, lark, &c.
Under the title " Fish" put pike, eel, plaice, salmon, lobster, crab, oyster, craw-fish, &c.
You may then put "Plants" or " Vegetables"
under several heads, or subdivisions of the same head;
as tree (root, body, bark, bough, leaf, fruit), oak, ash,
apple-tree, pear-tree, vine, &c. "Fruit," apple, pear,
plum, cherry, grape, nut, orange, lemon, flower, rose,
tulip, gilliflower, herb (weed), grass, corn, wheat, barley, rye, pea, bean.
And the like of "Inanimates," as heaven, sun,
moon, star, element, earth, water, air, fire; and under
the title " Earth," clay, sand, gravel, stone, metal,
gold, silver, brass, copper, iron (steel), lead, tin,
pewter, glass. Under the title "Water" put sea,
pond, river, stream. Under that of "Air " put light,
3                [8   ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


dark, mist, fog, cloud, wind, rain, hail, snow, thunder,
lightning, rainbow. Under that of "Fire," coal,
flame, smoke, soot, ashes.
Under the title " Clothes" put woollen (cloth,
stuff), linen (Holland, lawn, lockarum), silk (satin,
velvet), hat, cap, band, doublet, breeches, coat, cloak,
stocking, shoe, boot, shirt, petticoat, gown, &c.
Under the title "'House," put wall, roof, door,
window, casement, room.
Under " Room " put shop, hall, parlour, diningroom, chamber, study, closet, kitchen, cellar, stable,
&c.
And under each of these, as distinct heads, the
furniture or utensils belonging thereunto, with divisions and subdivisions, as there is occasion, which I
forbear to mention, that I be not too prolix.
And in like manner, from time to time, may be
added more collections, or clauses of names or words,
conveniently digested under distinct heads, and suitable distributions; to be written in distinct leaves
or pages of his book, in such order as may seem
convenient.
When he is furnished with a competent number of
names, though not so many as I have mentioned, it
will be seasonable to teach him, under the titles
singular and plural, the formation of plurals from
singulars, by adding s or es; as hand, hands; face,
faces; fish, fishes, &c., with some few irregulars, as
man, men; woman, women; foot, feet; tooth, teeth;
mouse, mice; louse, lice; ox, oxen, &c.
Which, except the irregulars, will serve for possessives, to be after taught him, which are formed by
[84]




REMARKS OF DR. WALLIS


their primitives by like addition of s or es, except
some few irregulars, as my, mine; thy, thine; our,
ours; your, yours; his; her, hers; their, theirs, &c.
And in all those and other like cases it will be
proper first to show him the particulars and then
the general title.
Then teach him in another page or paper the particulars, a, an, the, this, that, these, those.
And the pronouns, I, me, my, mine; thou, thee,
thy, thine; we, us, our, ours; ye, you, your, yours;
he, him, his; she, her, hers; it, its; they, them, their,
theirs; who, whom, whose.
Then, under the titles "Substantive, adjective,"
teach him to connect these, as my hand, your head;
his foot, his feet; her arm, arms; our hats; their
shoes, John's coat, William's band, &c.
And in order to furnish him with more adjectives,
under the title " Colours," you may place black, white,
grey, green, blue, yellow, red, &c.; and having showed
the particulars, let him know that these are called
colours.
The like for taste and smell, as sweet, bitter, sour,
stink; and for hearing; sound, noise, word.
Then for touch or feeling; hot, warm, cold, cool,
wet, moist, dry, hard, soft, tough, brittle, heavy,
light, &c.
From whence you may furnish him with more
examples of adjectives with substantives; as white
bread, brown bread, green grass, soft cheese, hard
cheese, black hat, my black hat, &c.
And then inverting the order, substantive, adjective, with the verb copulative between; as, silver
[35]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


is white, gold is yellow, lead is heavy, wood is light,
snow is white, ink is black, flesh is soft, bone is hard,
I am sick, I am not well, &c., which will begin to
give him some notion of syntax.
In like manner, when substantive and substantive
are so connected; as, gold is a metal, a rose is a
flower, they are men, they are women, horses are
beasts, geese are fowls, larks are birds, &c.
Then, as those before relate to quality, you may
give him some other words relating to quantity; as
long, short, broad, narrow, thick, thin, high, tall,
low, deep, shallow, great, big, small (little), much,
little, many, few, full, empty, whole, part, piece, all,
some, none, strong, weak, quick, slow, equal, unequal,
bigger, less.
Then words of figure; as straight, crooked, plain,
bowed, concave, hollow, convex, round, square, threesquare, sphere, globe, bowl, cube, die, upright, sloping, leaning forward, leaning backward, like, unlike.
Of gesture; as stand, lie, sit, kneel, sleep.
Of motion; as move, stir, rest, walk, go, come,
run, leap, ride, fall, rise, swim, sink, drawn, slide,
creep, crawl, fly, pull, draw, thrust, throw, bring,
fetch, carry.
Then words relating to time, place, number, weight,
measure, money, &c.. are in convenient time to
be showed him distinctly; for which the teacher, according to his discretion, may take a convenient
season.
As likewise the time of the day, the days of the
week, the days of the month, the months of the year,
and other things relating to the almanack, which
[36]




REMARKS OF DR. WALLIS
he will quickly be capable to understand, if once
methodically shown him.
As likewise the names and situation of places and
countries which are convenient for him to know,
which may be orderly written in his book, and showed
him in the map of London, England, Europe, the
world, &c.
But these may be done at leisure, as likewise the
practice of arithmetic, and other like pieces of learning.
In the meantime, after the concord of substantive
and adjective, he is to be showed, by convenient
examples, that of the nominative and verb; as, for
instance, I go, you see, he sits, they stand, the fire
burns, the sun shines, the wind blows, the rain falls,
the water runs, and the like, with the titles in the
top nominative verb.
After this (under the titles nominative verb, accusative), give him examples of verbs transitive; as,
I see you, you see me, the fire burns the wood, the
boy makes the fire, the cook roasts the meat, the
butler lays the cloth, we eat our dinner.
Or even with a double accusative; as, you teach
me writing or to write, John teacheth me to dance,
Thomas tells me a tale, &c.
After this, you may teach him the flexion or conjugation of the verb, or what is equivalent thereunto;
for in our English tongue each verb hath but two
tenses, the present and the preter; two participles,
the active and the passive: all the rest is performed
by auxiliaries, which auxiliaries have no more tenses
than the other verbs.
[37]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


Those auxiliaries are, do, did, will, would, shall,
should, may, might, can, could, must, ought to, have,
had, am, be, was. And if by examples you can insinuate the signification of these few words, you have
taught him the whole flexion of the verb.
And here it will be convenient, once for all, to write
him out a full paradigm of some one verb, suppose to
see, through all those auxiliaries.
The verb itself hath but these four words to be
learned, see, saw, seeing, seen, save that after thou, in
the second person singular, in both tenses, we add
est, and in the third person singular, in the present
tense, eth or es, or instead thereof, st, th, s, and so
in all verbs.
Then to the auxiliaries, do, did, will, would, shall,
should, may, might, can, could, must, ought to, we
join the indefinite see. And after have, had, am,
be, was, the passive particle seen, and so for all other
verbs.
But the auxiliary, am or be, is somewhat irregular
in a double form:
Am, art, is; plural are; was, wast, was; plural
were. Be, beest, be; plural were; were, wert, were;
plural were;
Be, am, was, being, been;
Which, attended with the other auxiliaries, make
us the whole passive voice.
All verbs, without exceptions, in the active participle, are formed by adding ing, as see, seeing; teach,
teaching, &c.
The preter tense and the participle are formed
regularly, by adding ed, but are often subject to con.
[I8]




REMARKS OF DR. WALLIS


tractions and other irregularities, sometime the same
in both, sometime different, and therefore it is convenient here to give a table of verbs, especially the
most usual, for those three cases, which may at once
teach their signification and formation; as boil,
boiled; roast, roasted, roasted; bake, baked, baked,
&c.; teach, taught, taught; bring, brought, brought;
buy, bought, bought, &c.; see, saw, seen; give, gave,
given; take, took, taken; forsake, forsook, forsaken;
write, wrote, written, &c.; with many more fit to be
learned.
The verbs being thus despatched, he is then to
learn the prepositions, wherein lies the whole regimen
of the noun. For diversity of cases we have none,
the force of which is to be insinuated by convenient
examples, suited to their different significations; as
for instance, of, a piece of bread, a pint of wine, the
colour of a pot, the colour of gold, a ring of gold, a
cup of silver, the mayor of London, the longest of
all, &c.
And in like manner, for, off, on, upon, too, unto,
till, until, from, at, in, within, out, without, into,
out of, about, over, under, above, below, between,
among, before, behind, after, for, by, with, through,
against, concerning; and by this time he will be
pretty well enabled to understand a single sentence.
In the last place, he is in like manner to be taught
the conjunctions, which serve to connect not words
only but sentences, as and, also, likewise, either, or,
whether, neither, nor, if, then, why, wherefore, because, therefore, but, though, yet, &c., and these
illustrated by convenient examples in each case, as,
[S9]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


Because I am cold, therefore I go to the fire, that I
may be warm, for it is cold weather;
If it were fair, then it would be good walking, but
however, though it rain, yet I must go, because I
promised; with other like instances.
And by this time his book, if well furnished with
plenty of words, and those well digested under several
heads, and in good order, and well recruited from
time to time as new words occur, will serve him in
the nature of a dictionary and grammar.
And in case the deaf person be otherwise of a
good natural capacity, and the teacher of a good
sagacity, by this method, proceeding gradually step
by step, you may, with diligence and due application
of teacher and learner, in a year's time, or thereabouts, perceive a greater progress than you would
expect, and a good foundation laid for further instruction in matters of religion and other knowledge
which may be taught by books.
It will be convenient all along to have pen, ink,
and paper, ready at hand, to write down in a word
what you signify to him by signs, and cause him to
write, or show how to write, what he signifies by
signs, which way of signifying their mind by signs
deaf persons are often very good at; and we must
endeavour to learn their language, if I may so call it,
in order to teach them ours, by showing what words
answer to their signs.
It will be convenient, also, as you go along, after
some convenient progress made, to express, in as
plain language as may be, the import of some of the
tables; as, for instance,
[40]




ALEXANDER POPHAM


The head is the highest part of the body, the feet
the lowest part; the face is the forepart of the head,
the forehead is over the eyes, the cheeks are under the
eyes, the nose is between the cheeks, the mouth is
under the nose and above the chin, &c.
And such plain discourse, put into writing, and
particularly explained, will teach him by degrees to
understand plain sentences; and like advantages a
sagacious teacher may take, as occasion offers itself
fiom time to time.
This extract is mostly taken out of the ingenious
Dr. Wallis, and lying hid in that little book, which
is but rarely inquired after and too scarcely known,
died in a manner with that great man. And as he
designed it for the general use of mankind that
laboured under the misfortune of losing those two
valuable talents of hearing and speaking, I thought
it might not be amiss (in the life of so particular a
dumb person as I am writing) to give them this small
but particular fragment of grammar and syntax.
It is exactly adjusted to the English tongue; because such are the persons with whom the Doctor had
to deal, and such the persons whose benefit alone I
consult in this treatise.
One of the chief persons who was taught by Dr.
Wallis was Mr. Alexander Popham, brother-in-law
(if I am not mistaken) to the present Earl of Oxford;
and he was a very great proficient in this way; and
though he was born deaf and dumb, understood the
language so well as to give, under his hand, many rare
indications of a masterly genius.
[41]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


The uncle of his present Sardinian Majesty, as I
have been credibly informed, had the want of the same
organs, and yet was a perfect statesman, and wrote in
five or six different languages elegantly well.
Bishop Burnet, in his book of travels, tells us a
wonderful story, almost incredible; but tells it as a
passage that deserves our belief. It is concerning
a young lady at Genoa, who was not only deaf and
dumb, but blind, too, it seems, into the bargain; and
this lady, he assures us as a truth, could, by putting her
hand on her sister's mouth, know everything she said.
But to return back to England. We have many
rare instances of our own countrymen, the principal
of whom I shall mention, as their names occur to my
memory. Sir John Gawdy, Sir Thomas Knotcliff, Sir
[Edward] Gostwick, Sir Henry Lydall, and Mr. Richard Lyns of Oxford, were all of this number, and yet
eminent men in their several capacities, for understanding many authors, and expressing themselves in
writing with wonderful facility.
In Hatton Garden, there now lives a miracle of wit
and good nature, I mean the daughter of Mr. Loggin,
who, though born deaf and dumb (and she has a
brother who has the same impediments), yet writes
her mind down upon any subject with such acuteness
as would amaze learned men themselves, and put many
students that have passed for wits to a blush, to see
themselves so far surpassed by a woman amidst that
deficiency of the common organs. If anybody speaks
a word distinctly, this lady will, by observing narrowly
the motion of the speaker's lips; pronounce the word
afterwards very intelligibly.
[42]




ENCOURAGING EXAMPLES


As there are a great many families in England and
Ireland that have several, and some even have five or
six dumb persons belonging to them, and as a great
many more believe it impossible for persons born deaf
and dumb to write and read, and have thence taken
occasion to say and assert that Mr. Campbell could
certainly speak, I could never think it a digression in
the history of this man's life to set down the grammar by which he himself was taught, and which he
has taught others (two of which scholars of his are
boys of this town), partly to confute the slander made
against him, and partly for the help of others dumb
and deaf, whose parents may by these examples be
encouraged to get them taught.


[43]




CHAPTER FOUR


YOUNG DUNCAN CAMPBELL RETURNS WITH HIS MOTHER
TO EDINBURGH.  THE EARL OF ARGYLL'S OVERTHROW. THE RUIN OF MR. ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL9
AND HIS DEATH.   YOUNG DUNCAN'S PRACTICE IN
PREDICTION AT EDINBURGH, WHILE YET A BOY.
UR young boy, now between six and seven
years of age, half a Highlander and half
a Laplander, delighted in wearing a little
bonnet and plaid, thinking it looked
very manly in his countrymen; and his father, as
soon as he was out of his hanging sleeves, and left off
his boy's vest, indulged him with that kind of dress,
which is truly antique and heroic. In this early part
of his nonage he was brought to Edinburgh by his
mother-in-law, where I myself grew afresh acquainted
with her, his father being then but lately dead, just
after the civil commotion, and off and on, I have
known him ever since, and conversed with him very
frequently during that space of time, which is now
about three or four and thirty years; so that whatever I say concerning him in the future pages I shall
relate to the reader from my own certain knowledge,
which, as I resolved to continue anonymous, may not
have so much weight and authority as if I had prefixed my name to the account. Be that as it will,
[44 ]




MONMOUTH AND ARGYLL


there are hundreds of living witnesses that will justify
each action I relate, and his own future actions while
he lives will procure belief and credit to the precedent
ones, which I am going to record; so that if many do
remain infidels to my relations, and will not allow
them exact (the fate of many as credible and more
important historians than myself), I can, however,
venture to flatter myself that greater will be the number of those who will have a faith in my writings than
of those who will reject my accounts as incredible.
Having just spoke of the decease of Mr. Archibald
Campbell, the father of our young Duncan Campbell, it will not be amiss here to observe how true
the predictions of his Lapland mother were, which
arose from second sight, according to the notices
given by the child's father, to his grandfather, in his
letter from Lapland, even before it was born, which
shows that the infant held this second-sighted power,
or occult faculty of divination, even by inheritance.
In the year 1685, the Duke of Monmouth and the
Earl of Argyll sailed out of the ports of Holland
without any obstruction, the Earl of Argyll in May,
with three ships for Scotland, and Monmouth in
June with the same number for England.
The earl setting out first was also the first at
landing. Argyll having attempted to land in the
north of Scotland, and being disappointed by the
vigilance of the Bishop of the Orcades, landed in
the west, and encamped at Dunstaffnage Castle,
in the province of Lorne, which had belonged to
him. He omitted nothing that might draw over
to him all the malcontents in the kingdom, whom
[45]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


he thought more numerous than they afterwards
appeared to be. He dispersed about his declarations, wherein, after protesting that he had taken
up arms only in defence of religion and the laws,
against an unjust usurper (so he styled James the
Second), he invited all good Protestants, and such
Scotch as would assert the liberty to join him
against a prince, he said, who was got into the
throne to ruin the Reformation, and to bring in
Popery and arbitrary power. Next he sent letters
to those he thought his friends, among whom was
Mr. Archibald Campbell, who, according to the vast
deference paid by the Scots to their chief, joined
him, though in his heart of quite a different principle, to call them to his assistance. He detached
two of his sons to make inroads in the neighbourhood, and compel some by threats, others by mighty
promises, to join him. All his contrivances could
not raise him above three thousand men, with
whom he encamped in the Isle of Bute, where he
was soon, in a manner, besieged by the Earl of
Dumbarton with the king's forces, and several
other bodies, commanded by the Duke of Gordon,
the Marquis of Athole, the Earl of Arran, and
other great men, who came from all parts to quench
the fire before it grew to a head.
The Earl of Argyll being obliged to quit a post
he could not make good, went over into a part of the
country of his own name, where having hastily fortified a castle called Ellangreig, he put into it the arms
and ammunition taken out of his ships, which lay at
anchor under the cannon of a fort he erected near
[46]




FLIGHT OF ARGYLL


that place. There his rout began, for going out from
the castle with his forces to make an incursion, one
of his parties was defeated by the Marquis of Athole,
who slew four hundred of his men, and Captain
Hamilton, who attacked his ships with some of the
king's and took them without any resistance.
The Earl of Dumbarton advancing towards him,
at the same time, by long marches, while he endeavoured to secure himself by rivers, surprised him
passing the Clyde, in the village of Killern, as he
was marching towards Lennox. Dumbarton coming
upon them at night, would have stayed till the next
day to attack the rebels, but they gave him not so
much time, for they passed the river in the night, in
such confusion, that being overcome with fear, they
dispersed as soon as over. Argyll could scarcely
rally so many as would make him a small guard,
which was soon scattered again, Dumbarton having
passed the river, and divided his forces to pursue
those that fled. Argyll had taken guides to conduct him to Galloway, but they mistaking their
way, and leading him into a bog, most of those that
still followed him quitted their horses, every man
shifting for himself.
Argyll himself was making back alone towards the
Clyde, when two resolute servants, belonging to an
officer in the king's army, meeting him, though they
knew him not, bid him surrender. He fired at and
missed them; but they took better aim, and wounded
him with a pistol ball. Then the earl, drawing his
two pistols out of the holsters, quitted his horse, that
was quite tired, and took the river. A country fellow,
[47]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


who came with those two that had first assaulted
him, pursued him with a pistol in his hand. The
earl would have fired one of his, but the flint failing,
he was dangerously wounded in the head by the
peasant. He discovered himself, as he fell senseless,
crying out, "Unfortunate Argyll." This nobleman,
how far soever he may be thought misled in principle,
was certainly in his person a very brave and a very
gallant hero. They made haste to draw him out
and bring him to himself; after which, being delivered
up to the officers, the erring, unfortunate great man
was conducted to Edinburgh and there beheaded.
Many gentlemen that followed the fortunes of this
great man, though not in his death, they shared in
all the other calamities attending his overthrow.
They most of them fled into the remotest isles and
the obscurest corners of all Scotland; contented
with the saving of their lives, they grew exiles and
banished men of their own making, and abdicated
their estates before they were known to be forfeited,
because, for fear of being informed against by the
common fellows they commanded, they durst not
appear to lay their claims. Of this number was Mr.
Archibald Campbell, and this new disaster wounded
him deeply into the very heart, after so many late
misadventures, and sent him untimely to the grave.
He perfectly pined away and wasted; he was six
months dying inch by inch, and the difference between his last breath and his way of breathing during all that time, was only that he expired with a
greater sigh than he ordinarily fetched every time
when he'drew his breath.
[48]




SECOND-SIGHT


Everything the Lapland lady had predicted so
long before being thus come to pass, we may the
less admire at the wonders performed by her son,
when we consider this faculty of divination to be so
derived to him from her, and grown, as it were,
hereditary.
Our young prophet, who had taught most of his
little companions to converse with him by finger, was
the head at every little pastime and game they played
at. Marbles (which he used to call children's playing at bowls) yielded him mighty diversion; and he
was so dexterous an artist at shooting that little
alabaster globe from between the end of his forefinger and the knuckle of his thumb, that he seldom
missed hitting plumb (as the boys call it) the marble
he aimed at, though at the distance of two or three
yards. The boys always when they played coveted
to have him on their side, and by hearing that he
foretold other things, used to consult him when they
made their little matches (which were things of great
importance in their thoughts), who should get the
victory. He used commonly to leave these trifles
undecided; but if ever he gave his opinion in these
trivial affairs, the persons fared well by their consultation, for his judgment about them was like a
petty oracle, and the end always answered his prediction. But I would have my reader imagine, that
though our Duncan Campbell was himself but a
boy, he was not consulted only by boys; his penetration and insight into things of a high nature got
air, and being attested by credible witnesses, won him
the esteem of persons of mature years and discretion.
4               [49]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


If a beautiful young virgin languished for a husband, or a widow's mind was in labour to have a
second venture of infants by another spouse; if a
housekeeper had lost anything belonging to her master, still little Duncan Campbell was at hand. He
was the oracle to be applied to; and the little
chalked circle, where he was diverting himself with
his playfellows, near the cross at Edinburgh, was
frequented with as much solicitation, and as much
credit, as the Tripos of Apollo was at Delphos in
ancient times.
It was highly entertaining to see a young blooming
beauty come and slyly pick up the boy from his company, carry him home with as much eagerness as she
would her gallant, because she knew she could get
the name of her gallant out of him before he went,
and bribe him with a sugar-plum to write down the
name of a young Scotch peer in a green ribbon that
her mouth watered after.
How often, after he has been wallowing in the dust,
have I myself seen nice squeamish widows help him
up in their gilded chariots, and give him a pleasant
ride with them, that he might tell them they should
not long lie alone! Little Duncan Campbell had as
much business upon his hands as the parsons of all
the parishes in Edinburgh. He commonly was consulted, and named the couples before the minister
joined them; thus he grew a rare customer to the
toy-shop, from whence he most usually received fees
and rewards for his advices. If Lady Betty Such-aone was foretold that she should certainly have Beau
Such-a-one in marriage, then little Duncan was sure
[50]




DUNCAN'S PREDICTIONS


to have a hobby-horse from the toy-shop, as a reward
for the promised fop. If such a widow, that was
ugly but very rich, was to be pushed hard for, as
she pretended (though in reality easily won), little
Duncan, upon ensuring her such a captain, or such a
lieutenant-colonel, was sure to be presented from the
same child's warehouse with a very handsome drum
and a silvered trumpet.
If a sempstress had an itching desire for a parson,
she would, upon the first assurance of him, give this
little Apollo a pasteboard temple or church, finely
painted, and a ring of bells into the bargain, from
the same toy-office.
If a housekeeper lost any plate, the thief was certain to be catched, provided she took little master
into the store-room, and asked him the question,
after she had given him his bellyful of sweetmeats.
Neither were the women only his consulters: the
grave merchants, who were anxious for many ventures at sea, applied to the boy for his opinion of
their security; and they looked upon his opinion to
be as safe as the insurance office for ships. If he
but told them, though the ship was just set sail, and
a tempest rose just after on the ocean, that it would
have a successful voyage, gain the port designed, and
return home safe laden with the exchange of traffic
and merchandise, they dismissed all their fears,
banished all their cares, set their hearts at ease, and
safe in his opinion enjoyed a calm of mind amidst a
storm of weather.
I myself knew one Count Cog, an eminent gamester, who was a person so far from being of a credu[51]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


lous disposition, that he was an unbeliever in several
points of religion, and the next door to an infidel.
Yet as much as he was a stranger to faith, he was
mastered and overpowered so far in his incredulity
by the strange events which he had seen come frequently to pass, from the predictions of this child,
that he had commonly daily access to this boy, to
learn his more adverse and more prosperous hours
of gaming. At first, indeed, he would try, when the
child foretold him his ill fortune, whether it would
prove true; and, relying upon the mere hazard and
turn of the dice, he had always (as he observed) a
run of ill luck on those forbidden days, as he never
failed of good if he chose the fortunate hours directed
by the boy. One time, above all the rest, just before
he was departing from Edinburgh, and when the
season of gaming was almost over, most persons of
wealth and distinction withdrawing for pleasure to
their seats in the country, he came to young Duncan
Campbell to consult, and was extremely solicitous to
know how happily or unluckily he should end that
term (as we may call it) of the gamester's weighty
business, viz., play, there being a long vacation likely
to ensue, when the gaming-table would be empty,
and the box and dice lie idle and cease to rattle.
The boy encouraged him so well with his predictions
on this occasion, that Count Cog went to the toyshop, brought him from thence a very fine ivory
teetotum (as children call it), a pretty set of painted
and gilded ninepins and a bowl, and a large bag of
marbles and alloys. And what do you think the
gamester got by this little present and the predic[52]




COUNT COG A WINNER


tion of the boy? Why, without telling the least
tittle of falsehood, within the space of the last week's
play, the gains of Count Cog really amounted to no
less than twenty thousand pounds sterling, neat
money.
Having mentioned these persons of so many different professions by borrowed names, and perhaps in a
manner seemingly ludicrous, I would not have my
reader from hence take occasion of looking upon my
account as fabulous. If I was not to make use of
borrowed names, but to tell the real characters and
names of the persons, I should do injury to those
old friends of his who first gave credit to our young
seer, while I am endeavouring to gain him the credit
and esteem of new ones, in whose way it has not
yet happened to consult him. For many persons
are very willing to ask such questions as the foregoing ones, but few or none willing to have the
public told they ask them, though they succeeded
in their wish, and were amply satisfied in their curiosity. I have represented them, perhaps, in a ludicrous manner, because, though they are mysterious
actions, they are still the actions of a boy; and as
the rewards he received for his advices did really and
truly consist of such toys as I have mentioned, so
could they not be treated of in a more serious manner, without the author's incurring a magisterial air
of pedantry, and showing a mind, as it were, of
being mighty grave and sententious about trifles.
There are, however, some things of greater weight
and importance done by him in a more advanced
stage of life, which will be delivered to the public
[53]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


with that exactitude and gravity which becomes
them; and in some of those relations the names of
some persons that are concerned shall be printed,
because it will not at all be injurious to them, or
because I have their leave, and they are still living
to testify what I shall relate.
In the meantime, as the greatest part of his nonage was spent in predicting almost innumerable
things, which are all, however, reduced to the general
heads above-mentioned, I will not tire the reader
with any particulars; but instead of doing that, before I come to show his power of divination in the
more active parts of his life, and when, after removing
from Edinburgh to London, he at last made it his
public profession, I shall account how such divinations may be made, and divert the reader with
many rare examples (taken from several faithful and
undoubted historians) of persons who have done the
like before him, some in one way, and some in
another; though in these he seems to be peculiar,
and to be (if I may be allowed the expression) a
species by himself, alone in the talent of prediction;
that he has collected within his own individual
capacity all the methods which others severally used,
and with which they were differently and singly
gifted in their several ways of foreseeing and foretelling.
This art of prediction is not attainable any otherwise than by these three ways: First, it is done by
the company of familiar spirits and genii, which are
of two sorts, some good and some bad, who tell the
gifted person the things of which he informs other
[54]




DIVINATION THREEFOLD


people. Secondly, it is performed by the secondsight, which is very various, and differs in most of the
possessors, it being but a very little in some, very
extensive and constant in others; beginning with
some in their infancy, and leaving them before they
come to years; happening to others in a middle age;
to others again in an old age that never had it before, and lasting only for a term of years, and now
and then for a very short period of time; and in
some intermitting, like fits, as it were, of vision, that
leave them for a time, and then return to be as
strong in them as ever; and it being in a manner
hereditary to some families, whose children have it
from their infancy, without intermission, to a great
old age, and even to the time of their death, which
they often foretold, before it came to pass, to a day,
nay even to an hour. Thirdly, it is attained by the
diligent study of the lawful part of the art of magic.
Before I give the reader an account (as I shall do
in three distinct discourses), first, concerning the
intercourse which familiar spirits, viz., the good
and bad genii, have had and continue to have, to a
great degree, with some select parts of mankind;
secondly, concerning the wonderful and almost miraculous power of a second-sight, with which many,
beyond all controversy, have been extraordinarily
but visibly gifted; and thirdly, concerning the
pitch of perfection to which the magic science has
been carried and promoted by some adepts in that
mysterious art, I will premise a few particulars about
the genii which attended our little Duncan Campbell,
and about the second-sight which he had when yet
[ 55]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


a child, and when we may much more easily believe
that the wonders he performed and wrote of must have
been rather brought about by the intervention of
such genii and the mediation of such a sight than
that he could have invented such fables concerning
them, and compassed such predictions as seemed to
want their assistance by the mere dint of a child's
capacity.
One day, I remember, when he was about nine
years of age, going early to the house where he and
his mother lived, and it being before his mother was
stirring, I went into little Duncan Campbell's room,
to divert myself with him. I found him sitting up
in his bed, with his eyes broad open, but as motionless as if he had been asleep, or even (if it had not
been for a lively beautiful colour which the pretty
fair silver-haired boy always had in his cheeks) as if
he had been quite dead; he did not seem so much
as to breathe; the eyelids of him were so fixed and
immovable, that the eyelashes did not so much as
once shake, which the least motion imaginable must
agitate; not to say that he was like a person in an
ecstasy, he was at least in what we commonly call
a brown study to the highest degree, and for the
largest space of time I ever knew. I, who had been
frequently informed by people who have been present
at the operations of second-sighted persons, that, at
the sight of a vision, the eyelids of the person are
erected, and the eyes continue staring till the object
vanishes, I, I say, sat myself softly down on his bedside,
and with a quiet amazement observed him, avoiding
diligently any motion that might give him the least
[56]




YOUNG DUNCAN IN A TRANCE


I sat m~ysejf soft4y down on his bedside, and with a
quiet amazemnti observed him




l/ I     /  / V
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I




DUNCAN ENTRANCED


disturbance, or cause in him any avocation or distraction of mind from the business he was so intent upon.
I remarked that he held his head sideways, with his
mouth wide open and in a listening posture, and that
after so lively a manner, as, at first general thought,
made me forget his deafness, and plainly imagine he
heard something, till the second thought of reflection
brought into my mind the misfortune that shut up
all passage for any sound through his ears. After
a steadfast gaze, which lasted about seven minutes,
he smiled, and stretched his arms, as one recovering
from a fit of indolence, and rubbed his eyes; then
turning towards me, he made the sign of a salute,
and hinted to me, upon his fingers, his desire for pen,
ink, and paper, which I reached him from a little
desk that stood at his bed's foot.
Placing the paper upon his knees, he wrote me the
following lines, which, together with my answers, I
preserve by me, for their rarity, to this very day, and
which I have transcribed word for word, as they form
a little series of dialogue.
Duncan Campbell - "I am sorry I cannot stay
with you, but I shall see my pretty youth and my
lamb by-and-by in the fields, near a little coppice, or
grove, where I go often to play with them; and I
would not lose their company for the whole world; for
they and I are mighty familiar together, and the boy
tells me everything, that gets me my reputation among
the ladies and nobility, and you must keep it secret."
My question - " I will be sure to keep it secret.
But how do you know you are to meet them there
to-day? Did the little boy appoint you?
[ 57 I




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


Duncan Campbell-"Yes, he did, and signified
that he had several things to predict to me concerning people that he foreknew would come to me the
week following to ask me questions."
My question -" But what was you staring at when
I came in?"
Duncan Campbell -"Why, at that little boy,
that goes along with the lamb I speak of, and it was
then he made me the appointment."
My question-" How does he do it?    Does he
write? "
Duncan Campbell-" No, he writes sometimes;
but oftener he speaks with his fingers, and mighty
swift; no man can do it so quick, or write half so
soon; he has a little bell in his hand, like that which
my mother makes me a sign to shake when she wants
the servants; with that he tickles my brain most
strangely, and gives me an incredible delight in feeling in the inside of my head; he usually wakes me
with it in the morning, when he comes to make me
an appointment. I fancy 't is what you call hearing,
which makes me mighty desirous I could hear in your
way; 't is sweeter to the feeling, methinks, than anything is to the taste; it is just as if my head was
tickled to death, as my nurse used to tickle my sides;
but it is a different feeling, for it makes things like
little strings tremble in my temples, and behind my
ears. Now I remember, I will tell you what't is like,
that makes me believe it is like your hearing, and that
strange thing, which you that can speak call sound, or
noise; because, when I was at church with my mother,
who told me the bells could be heard ringing a mile
[58]




A BOY AND A LAMB


off, as I was kneeling on the bench, and leaning over
the top of the pew, and gnawing the board, every
time the man pulled the rope, I thought all my head
beat, as if it would come to pieces; but yet it pleased
me, methought, rather than pained me, and I would
be always gnawing the board when the man pulled the
rope, and I told my mother the reason. The feeling
of that was something like the little bell, but only
that made my head throb, as if it would break, and
this tickles me, and makes, as it were, little strings
on the back of my ears dance and tremble like anything; is not that like your way of hearing? If it
be, it is a sweet thing to hear; it is more pleasant
than to see the finest colours in the world; it is something like being tickled in the nose with a feather till
one sneezes; or like the feeling after one strikes the
leg when it has been numb, or asleep, only with this
difference, that those two ways give a pain and the
other a pleasure. I remember, too, when I had a great
cold, for about two months, I had a feeling something
like it, but that was blunt, dull, confused, and troublesome. Is not this like what you call hearing?"
My question -" It is the finest kind of hearing,
my dear; it is what we call music. But what sort
of a boy is that that meets you? and what sort of
a lamb?"
Duncan Campbell -   Oh! t ough they are like
other boys and lambs which you see, they are a thousand times prettier and finer. You never saw such a
boy nor such a lamb in your lifetime."
My question -" How big is he? As big as you
are? And what sort of a boy is he?
[59 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


Duncan Campbell —" He is a little pretty boy, about
as tall as my knee; his face is as white as snow, and so
are his little hands; his cheeks are as red as a cherry,
and so are his lips; and, when he breathes, it makes
the air more perfumed than my mother's sweet bags
that she puts among the linen; he has got a crown
of roses, cowslips, and other flowers, upon his head,
such as the maids gather in May; his hair is like fine
silver threads, and shine like the beams of the sun;
he wears a loose veil down to his feet, that is as blue
as the sky in a clear day, and embroidered with
spangles that look like the brightest stars in the
night; he carries a silver bell in one hand, and a book
and pencil in the other; and he and the little lamb
will dance and leap about me in a ring as high as my
head. The lamb has got a little silver collar, with
nine little bells upon it; and every little piece of wool
upon its back, that is as white as milk, is tied up all
round it in puffs like a little miss's hair, with ribbons
of all colours; and round its head, too, are little roses
and violets stuck very thick in the wool that grows
upon its forehead, and behind and between its ears,
in the shape of a diadem. They first meet me dancing thus; and after they have danced some time, the
little boy writes down wonderful things in his book,
which I write down in mine; then they dance again,
till he rings his bell, and then they are gone all of a
sudden, I know not where; but I feel the tickling in
the inside of my head, caused by the bell, less and
less, till I don't feel it at all; and then I go home,
read over my lesson in my book, and when I have it
by heart, I burn the written leaves, according as the
[60]




THE AUTHOR PROTESTS


little boy bids me, or he would let me have no more.
But I hear the little bell again; the little boy is
angry with me, he pulled me twice by the ear, and I
would not displease him for anything; so I must get
up and go immediately to the joy and delight of my
life."
I told him he might, if he would promise me to
tell me further another time; he said he would if I
would keep it secret. I told him I would, and so we
parted; though just before he went, he said he
smelt some venison, and he was sure they would
shortly have some for dinner; and nothing was so
sure as that my man had my orders to bring a side
of venison to me the next day to Mrs. Campbell's,
for I had been hunting, and came thither from the
death of a deer that morning, and intended, as
usual, to make a stay there for two or three days.
There are, I know, many men of severe principles,
and who are more strict, grave, and formal in their
manner of thinking than they are wise, who will be
apt to judge of these relations as things merely
fabulous and chimerical, and, not contented with
being disbelievers themselves, will labour to insinuate
into others this pernicious notion, that it is a sign of
infirmity and weakness of the head to yield them
credit. But though I could easily argue these Sir
Gravities down - though a sentence or two would
do their business, put them beyond the power of
replying, and strike them dumb - yet do I not think
it worth my while; their greatest and most wonted
objection to these Eudemons and Kakodemons being,
that it arises all from the work of fancy, in persons
[61]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


of a melancholic blood. If we consider the nature
of this child's dialogue with me, will it not be more
whimsically strange and miraculous to say that a
child of nine years old had only a fancy of such
things as these, of which it had never heard anybody
give an account, and that it could, by the mere
strength of imagination, predict such things as
really after came to pass, than it is (when it does so
strangely predict things) to believe the child does it
in the manner itself owns it does, which is by the
intervention of a good demon, or happy genius.
Departing, therefore, from these singular wise men's
opinions, who will believe nothing excellent can
happen to others which it has not been their lot to
enjoy a share of, I shall take my farewell hastily of
them, without losing my own time or theirs, in the
words of the ingenious and learned Monsieur Le
Clerc: --  Acerbos homines non moror, indignos
quippe, qui haec studia tractent, aut quorum judicii
ulla ratio habeatur."
I shall rather see how these things have lain open
to the eyes of, and been explained by the ancient
sages; I will relate who among them were happy in
their genii, and who among the moderns, whose
examples may be authorities for our belief; I will
set down, as clearly as I can, what perception men
have had of genii, or spirits, by the sense of seeing;
what by the sense of hearing, what by the sense of
feeling, touching, or tasting; and, in fine, what perception others have had of these genii by all the senses,
what by dreams and what by magic, a thing rarely to
be met with at once in any single man, and which
[62]




LOOKING BACKWARD


seems particular to the child, who was the subject
of our last little historical account. When I have
brought examples, and the opinions of wise philosophers, and the evidence of undeniable witnesses,
which one would think sufficient to evince persons
of the commerce men have with spirits, if they were
not past all sense of conviction, I shall, not so much
to corroborate what I say as to shame some wiseacres, who would by their frail reason scan all
things, and pretend to solve the mysteries ascribed
to spirits as facts merely natural, and who would
banish from the thoughts of men all belief of spirits
whatsoever, - I shall, I say, in order to put to shame
these wiseacres, if they have any shame left, produce
the opinions of the fathers, as divines, show the
doctrines of spirits in general to be consistent with
Christianity, that they are delivered in the Scripture
and by Christian tradition; in which, if they will
not acquiesce, I shall leave them to the labyrinth of
their own wild opinions, which in the end will so
perplex their judgments of things, that they will be
never able to extricate themselves; and these different beads will be the subject of the chapter ensuing,
and will, or I am greatly mistaken, form both an
instructive, edifying, and entertaining discourse, for
a reader really and truly intelligent, and that has a
good taste and relish for sublime tlings.


[ 63]




CHAPTER FIVE


AN ARGUMENT PROVING THE PERCEPTION WHICH MEN
HAVE, AND HAVE HAD, BY ALL THE SENSES, AS
SEEING, HEARING, ETC., OF DEMONS, GENII, OR
FAMILIAR SPIRITS.
IT is said in the ninth book of the Morals of
Aristotle, it is better to come at the probable
knowledge of some things above us in the
heavens, than to be capable of giving many
demonstrations relating to things here below. This
is no doubt an admirable proposition, and speaks
the lofty aims of that sublime mind from whence it
proceeded. Among all the disquisitions in this kind,
none seem to me more excellent than those which
treat concerning the genii that attend upon men,
and guide them in the actions of life. A genius or
demon of the good kind, is a sort of mediate being,
between human and divine, which gives the mind of
man a pleasant conjunction with the angelic and
celestial faculties, and brings down to earth a faint
participation of the joys of heaven. That there
have been such fortunate attendants upon wise men
we have many rare instances; they have been ascribed to Socrates, Aristotle, Plotinus, Porphyrius,
Jamblicus, Chicus, Scaliger, and Cardan. The most
celebrated of all these ancients was Socrates; and
[64]




THE DEMON OF SOCRATES


as for his having a genius, or demon, we have the
testimonies of Plato, Xenophon, and Antisthenes,
his contemporaries, confirmed by Laertius, Plutarch,
Maximus, Tyrius, Dion, Chrysostomus, Cicero, Apuleius, Ficinus, and others, many of the moderns,
besides Tertullian, Origen, Clemens Alexandrinus,
Austin, and others; and Socrates himself, in " Plato's
Theage," says, "By some divine lot I have a certain
demon, which has followed me from my childhood as
an oracle," and in the same place intimates that the
way he gained his instruction was by hearing the
demon's voice. Nothing is certainly so easy as for
men to be able to contradict things, though never so
well attested with such an air of truth, as to make
the truth of the history doubted by others as well
as themselves, where no demonstrative proof can
be brought to convince them. This has been the
easy task of those who object against the demon of
Socrates; but when no demonstrative proof is to
be had on either side, does not wisdom incline us
to lead to the most probable? Let us then consider
whether the evidences are not more credible, and
witnesses of such a thing are not persons of more
authority than these men are, who vouchsafe to give
no reason but their own incredulity for maintaining
the contrary, and whether those therefore, by the
right rule of judging, ought not much sooner than
these, to gain over our assent to their assertions.
We will, however, laying aside the histories of
those ancient times, the sense whereof, by various
readings and interpretations being put upon the
words, is rendered obscure and almost unintelligible,
[ 651




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


descend to more modern relations, the facts whereof
shall be placed beyond doubt, by reason of the
evidences we will bring to attest them, and shall
consequently prove the perception men have of
spirits, or genii, by every sense.
SECTION I.
We will first begin as to the perception of spirits
by the sight.
Mr. Glanvil, in his collections of relations for proving apparitions, spirits, &c., tells us of an Irishman
that had like to have been carried away by spirits,
and of the ghost of a man who had been seven years
dead, that brought a medicine to his bedside.
The relation is thus:
A gentleman in Ireland, near to the Earl of
Orrery's, sending his butler one afternoon to buy
cards; as he passed a field, to his wonder, he espied
a company of people sitting round a table, with a
deal of good cheer before them, in the midst of the
field; and he going up towards them they all arose
and saluted him, and desired him to sit down with
them; but one of them whispered these words into
his ear: — (Do nothing this company invites you
to." Hereupon he refused to sit down at the table,
and immediately table and all that belonged to it
were gone, and the company were now dancing and
playing upon musical instruments; and the butler
being desired to join himself with them, but he refusing this also, they all fall to work, and he not
being to be prevailed with, to accompany them in
working, any more than in feasting or dancing, they
[66]




A BUTLER KIDNAPPED


all disappeared, and the butler is now alone; but
instead of going forwards, home he returns, as fast
as he could drive, in a great consternation, and was
no sooner entered his master's door but he fell down,
and lay some time senseless; but coming again to
himself, he related to his master what had passed.
The night following there comes one of his company to his bedside and tells him, that if he offered
to stir out of doors the next day he would be carried
away. Hereupon he kept within; but towards the
evening, having occasion to make water, he adventured to put one foot over the threshold, several
standing by, which he had no sooner done, but they
espied a rope cast about his middle; and the poor
man was hurried away with great swiftness, they
following him as fast as they could, but could not
overtake him. At length they espied a horseman
coming towards him, and made signs to him to stop
the man whom he saw coming near him, and both
ends of the rope, but nobody drawing; when they
met, he laid hold of one end of the rope, and immediately had a smart blow given him over his arm
with the other end; but by this means the man was
stopped, and the horseman brought him back with
him.
The Earl of Orrery, hearing of these strange passages, sent to the master to desire him to send this
man to his house, which he accordingly did; and
the morning following, or quickly after, he told the
earl that his spectre had been with him again, and
assured him that that day he should most certainly
be carried away, and that no endeavours should avail
[67]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


to the saving of him. Upon this he was kept in a
large room, with a considerable number of persons
to guard him, among whom was the famous stroker,
Mr. Greatrix, who was a neighbour. There were,
besides other persons of quality, two bishops in the
house at the same time, who were consulted concerning the making use of a medicine the spectre, or
ghost prescribed, of which mention will be made
anon, but they determined on the negative.
Till part of the afternoon was spent, all was quiet;
but at length he was perceived to rise from the ground,
whereupon Mr. Greatrix, and another lusty man,
clapt their arms over his shoulders, one of them before him, the other behind him, and weighed him
down with all their strength; but he was forcibly
taken up from them, and they were too weak to keep
their hold, and for a considerable time he was carried
into the air, to and fro over their heads, several of the
company still running under him to prevent his receiving hurt, if he should fall; at length he fell, and
was caught before he came to the ground, and he had
by that means no hurt.
All being quiet till bed-time, my lord ordered two
of his servants to lie with him, and the next morning
he told his lordship that his spectre was again with
him, and brought a wooden dish, with grey liquor in
it, and bid him drink it off. At the first sight of the
spectre, he said that he endeavoured to awake his bedfellows, but it told him that that endeavour should
be in vain, and that he had no cause to fear him, he
being his friend, and that he had at first given him
the good advice in the field, which had he not fold
[68]




A MEDICAL GHOST


lowed, he had been before now perfectly in the power
of the company he saw there; he added, that he concluded it was impossible but that he should have
been carried away the day before, there being so
strong a combination against him; but now he could
assure him, there would be more attempts of that
nature; but he being troubled with two sorts of sad
fits, he had brought that liquor to cure him of them,
and bid him drink it. He peremptorily refusing, the
spectre was angry, and upbraided him with great disingenuity, but told him, however, he had a kindness
for him, and that if he would take plantain juice, he
should be well of one sort of fits, but he should carry
the other to his grave. The poor man having by
this somewhat recovered himself, asked the spectre
whether by the juice of plantain he meant that of
the leaves or roots; it replied, the roots.
Then it asked him whether he did not know him.
He answered, No. It replied, I am such a one. The
man answered, he had been long dead. " I have been
dead," said the spectre, or ghost, " seven years, and
you know that I lived a loose life; and ever since
I have been hurried up and down in a restless condition with the company you saw, and shall be to the
day of judgment." Then he proceeded to tell him,
that had he acknowledged God in his ways, he had
not suffered such severe things by their means; and
further said, " You never prayed to God that day,
before you met with this company in the fields."
This relation was sent to Dr. Henry More by Mr.
E. Fowler, who said Mr. Greatrix told it several
persons. The Lord Orrery also owned the truth of
[69]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


it; and Mr. Greatrix told it to Dr. Henry More himself, who particularly inquired of Mr. Greatrix about
the man's being carried up into the air, above men's
heads in the room, and he did expressly affirm that
he was an eye-witness thereof.
A vision which happened to the ingenious and
learned Dr. Donne may not improperly be here inserted. Mr. Isaac Walton, writing the life of the
said doctor, tells us, that the doctor and his wife
were living with Sir Robert Drury, who gave them
a free entertainment at his house in Drury Lane.
It happened that the Lord Haye was by King James
sent in an embassy to the French king, Henry IV.,
whom Sir Robert resolved to accompany, and engaged
Dr. Donne to go with them, whose wife was then with
child at Sir Robert's house. Two days after their
arrival at Paris, Dr. Donne was left alone in that
room in which Sir Robert and he and some other
friends had dined together. To this place Sir Robert
returned within half-an-hour, and as he left so he
found Dr. Donne, alone, but in such an ecstasy, and
so altered in his looks, as amazed Sir Robert to behold him, insomuch that he earnestly desired Dr.
Donne to declare what had befallen him in the short
time of his absence, to which Dr. Donne was not able
to make a present answer; but after a long and perplexed pause, did at last say, " I have seen a dreadful
vision since I saw you; I have seen my dear wife pass
twice by me through this room, with her hair hanging about her shoulders, and a dead child in her arms;
this I have seen since I saw you." To which Sir Robert
replied, "Sure, sir, you have slept since I saw you,
[70]




DR. DONNE'S VISION


and this is the result of some melancholy dream,
which I desire you to forget, for you are now awake."
To which Dr. Donne's reply was, "I cannot be surer
that I am now alive than that I have not slept since
I saw you, and am as sure, at her second appearing,
she stopped and looked at me in the face, and vanished." Rest and sleep had not altered Dr. Donne's
opinion on the next day; for he then affirmed this
vision with a more deliberate and so confirmed a confidence, that he inclined Sir Robert to a faint belief
that the vision was true, who immediately sent a servant to Drury House, with a charge to hasten back
and bring him word whether Mrs. Donne were alive;
and if alive, what condition she was in as to her
health. The twelfth day, the messenger returned
with this account; that he found and left Mrs.
Donne very sad and sick in bed, and that after a
long and dangerous labour, she had been delivered
of a dead child; and upon examination, the abortion
proved to be the same day, and about the very hour,
that Dr. Donne affirmed he saw her pass by in his
chamber. Mr. Walton adds this as a relation which
will beget some wonder, and well it may; for most
of our world are at present possessed with an opinion
that visions and miracles are ceased; and though it
is most certain that two lutes being both strung and
tuned to an equal pitch, and then one played upon,
the other, that is not touched, being laid upon the
table at a fit distance, will, like an echo to a trumpet,
warble a faint audible harmony, in answer to the same
tune, yet many will not believe that there is any such
thing as a sympathy with souls, &c.
t 71 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


SECTION II.
I shall next relate some little histories, to show
what perception men have had of spirits by the sense
of hearing; for, as Wierus says, spirits appear sometimes invisibly, so that only a sound, voice, or noise
is perceived by men, viz., a stroke, knocking, whistling, sneezing, groaning, lamenting, or clapping of
the hands, to make men attent to inquire or answer.
In Luther's " Colloquia Mensalia," &c., set forth
in Latin at Frankfort, anno 1557, it being a different
collection from that of Aurifaber, which is translated
from High Dutch into English, we have the following relation:" It happened in Prussia, that as a certain boy was
born, there presently came to him a genius, or what
you please to call it (for I leave it to men's judgments), who had so faithful a care of the infant, that
there was no need either of mother or servant; and,
as he grew up, he had a like care of him. He went
to school with him, but so that he could never be
seen, either by himself, or any others, in all his life.
Afterwards, he travelled into Italy; he accompanied
him, and whensoever any evil was like to happen to
him, either on the road or in the inn, he was perceived to foretell it by some touch or stroke; he
drew off his boots as a servant; if he turned his
journey another way, he continued with him, having
the same care of him in foretelling evil. At length
he was made a canon, and as, on a time, he was
sitting and feasting with his friends, in much jollity,
a vehement stroke was struck on a sudden on the
[72]




CASE OF CAPTAIN BELL


table, so that they were all terrified. Presently the
canon said to his friends, ' Be not afraid; some great
evil hangs over my head.' The next day he fell into
a great fever, and the fit continued on him for three
whole days, till he died miserably."
Captain Henry Bell, in his narrative prefixed to
Luther's "Table," printed in English, anno 1652,
having acquainted us how the German copy printed
of it had been discovered underground, where it had
lain fifty-two years, that edition having been suppressed by an edict of the Emperor Rudolphus II.,
so that it was death to keep a copy thereof; and
having told us that Casparus Van Spar, a German
gentleman, with whom he was familiarly acquainted
while he negotiated affairs in Germany for King
James I., was the person who discovered it, anno
1626, and transmitted it to England to him, and
earnestly desired him to translate the said book into
English, says, he accordingly set upon the translation
of it many times, but was always hindered from proceeding in it by some intervening business. About
six weeks after he had received the copy, being in
bed with his wife one night, between twelve and one
o'clock, she being asleep, but himself awake, there
appeared to him an ancient man, standing at his
bedside arrayed all in white, having a long and broad
white beard hanging down to his girdle, who, taking
him by his right ear, said thus to him, "c Sirrah!
will you not take time to translate that book, which
is sent to you out of Germany? I will shortly provide for you both place and time to do it." And
then he vanished. Hereupon, being much affrighted,
[73]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


he fell into an extreme sweat, so that his wife, awaking and finding him all over wet, she asked him what
he ailed? He told her what he had seen and heard;
but he never regarded visions or dreams, and so the
same fell out of his mind. But a fortnight after,
being on a Sunday, at his lodgings in King Street,
Westminster, at dinner with his wife, two messengers
were sent from the whole council board, with a warrant to carry him to the Gate-house, Westminster,
there to be kept till further order from the lords of
the council; upon which warrant he was kept there
ten whole years, close prisoner, where he spent five
years of it in translating the said book, having good
cause to be mindful of the old man's saying, c" I will
shortly provide for you both place and time to
translate it.'
Though the perception of spirits chiefly affects
the hearing and seeing faculties, yet are not the
other senses without some participation of these
genial objects, whether good or evil; for, as St.
Austin says, the evil work of the devil creeps
through all the passages of the senses; he presents
himself in figures, applies himself to colours, adheres
to sounds, introduces odours, infuses himself in
savours, and fills all the passages of intelligence;
sometimes cruelly tormenting with grief and fear,
sometimes sportingly diverting man, or taunting
with mocks. And on the other hand, as the learned
Walter Hilton, a great master of contemplative life,
in his " Scale of Perfection," sets forth, that appearances or representations to the corporeal senses may
be both good and evil.
[74]




A GHOSTLY WARNING


But before I conclude upon this head, to give still
more weight and authority to the perception we
have had of these genii, both by the senses of hearing and seeing, I will relate two very remarkable
fragments of history of this kind, told us by persons who demand our credit, and done within the
memory of our grandfathers and fathers.
The first is concerning that Duke of Buckingham
who was stabbed by Felton, August the 23rd, 1628.
Mr. Lilly, the astrologer, in his book entitled
( Monarchy and no Monarchy in England," printed
in quarto, 1651, having mentioned the Duke of
Buckingham, writes as follows: — " Since I am upon
the death of the Duke of Buckingham, I shall relate
a true story of his being admonished often of the
death he should die in this manner:
"An aged gentleman, one Parker, as I now remember, having formerly belonged unto the duke, or
of great acquaintance with the duke's father, and
now retired, had a demon appeared several times to
him in the shape of Sir George Villiers, the duke's
father. This demon walked many times in Parker's
bed-chamber, without any action or terror, noise,
hurt, or speech; but, at last, one night broke out
in these words: 'Mr. Parker, I know you loved me
formerly, and my son George at this time very well.
I would have you go from me (you know me very
well to be his father, old Sir George Villiers of
Leicestershire), and acquaint him with these and
these particulars, &c., and that he above all refrain
the counsel and company of such and such (whom
he then nominated), or else he will come to destruc[75 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


tion, and that suddenly.' Parker, though a very
discreet man, partly imagined himself in a dream
all this time: and being unwilling to proceed upon
no better grounds, forbore addressing himself to the
duke; for he conceived, if he should acquaint the
duke with the words of his father, and the manner
of his appearance to him (such apparitions being
not usual), he should be laughed at, and thought to
dote, in regard he was aged. Some few nights
passed without further trouble to the old man; but,
not very many nights after, old Sir George Villiers
appeared again, walked quick and furiously in the
room, seemed angry with Parker, and at last said,
'Mr. Parker, I thought you had been my friend so
much, and loved my son George so well, that you
would have acquainted him with what I desired, but
I know you have not done it; by all the friendship
that ever was betwixt you and me, and the great
respect you bear my son, I desire you to deliver what
I formerly commanded you to my son.' The old
man, seeing himself thus solicited, promised the
demon he would, but first argued it thus, that the
duke was not easy to be spoken withal, and that he
would account him a vain man to come with such a
message from the dead; nor did he conceive the
duke would give any credit to him: to which the
demon thus answered: ' If he will not believe you
have this discourse from me, tell him of such a secret
(and named it) which he knows none in the world
ever knew but myself and him.' Mr. Parker being
now well satisfied that he was not asleep, and that
the apparition was not a vain delusion, took a fit
[76]




WARNING DISREGARDED


opportunity, and seriously acquainted the duke with
his father's words, and the manner of his apparition.
The duke laughed heartily at the relation, which put
old Parker to a stand, but at last he assumed courage,
and told the duke that he acquainted his father's
ghost with what he found now to be true, viz., scorn
and derision: 'But, my lord,' says he, 'your father
bid me acquaint you by this token, and he said it
was such as none in the world but your two selves
did yet know.' Hereat the duke was amazed and
much astonished, but took no warning or notice
thereof, keeping the same company still, advising
with such counsellors, and performing such actions
as his father by Parker countermanded. Shortly
after, old Sir George Villiers, in a very quiet but
sorrowful posture, appears again to Parker, and said,
'Mr. Parker, I know you delivered my words to
George my son; I thank you for so doing, but he
slighted them, and now I only request this more at
your hands, that once again you repair to my son,
and tell him that if he will not amend and follow
the counsel I have given him, this knife or dagger
(and with that he pulled a knife or dagger from under his gown) shall end him; and do you, Mr. Parker,
set your house in order, for you shall die at such a
time.' Mr. Parker once more engaged, though very
unwillingly, to acquaint the duke with the last message, and so did; but the duke told him to trouble
him no further with such messages and dreams, and
told him he perceived he was now an old man and
doted; and within a month after, meeting Mr. Parker
on Lambeth Bridge, said, 'Now, Mr. Parker, what
[77]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


say you of your dream P' who only returned, 'Sir, I
wish it may never have success,' &c.; but, within six
weeks after, he was stabbed with a knife, according
to his father's admonition beforehand, and Mr. Parker died soon after he had seen the dream or vision
performed."
This relation is inserted also in the great Lord
Clarendon's History, and in Sir Richard Baker's
Chronicle. The Lord Clarendon, in his history, vol.
i. 1. 1, having given some relations, says that, amongst
others, there was one (meaning this of Parker) which
was upon a better foundation of credit than usually
such discourses are founded upon; and he tells us
that Parker was an officer in the king's wardrobe in
Windsor Castle, of a good reputation for honesty and
discretion, and then about the age of fifty years or
more. This man had in his youth been bred in a
school in the parish where Sir George Villiers, the
father of the duke, lived, and had been much cherished and obliged in that season of his age by the said
Sir George, whom afterwards he never saw. About
six months before the miserable end of the Duke of
Buckingham the apparition was seen; after the third
appearance he made a journey to London, where the
court then was; he was very well known to Sir Ralph
Freeman, one of the masters of the requests, who had
married a lady that was nearly allied to the duke, and
was himself well received by him. He informed the
duke with the reputation and honesty of the man,
and Sir Ralph Freeman carried the man the next
morning, by five of the clock, to Lambeth, according
to the duke's appointment, and there presented him
[78]




AN AUTHENTIC RELATION


to the duke, who received him courteously at his
landing, and walked in conference near an hour with
him, and Sir Ralph's and the duke's servants at such
a distance that they heard not a word; but Sir Ralph
always fixed his eyes on the duke, who sometimes
spoke with great commotion and disorder; and the
man told Sir Ralph in their return over the water,
that when he mentioned those particulars that were
to gain him credit, the duke's colour changed, and he
swore he could come to that knowledge only by the
devil; for that those particulars were known only
to himself and to one person more, who he was
sure would never speak of them. So far the Lord
Clarendon.
I will now subjoin an authentic relation which Mr.
Beaumont tells us at the end of his book of genii or
familiar spirits, printed in the year 1705, he had just
before received from the mouth of the then Bishop
of Gloucester himself. It is as follows, word for
word:" Sir Charles Lee, by his first lady, had only one
daughter, of which she died in childbirth; and when
she died, her sister, the Lady Everard, desired to have
the education of the child; and she was by her very
well educated till she was marriageable, and a match
was concluded for her with Sir William Perkins, but
was then prevented in an extraordinary manner. Upon
a Thursday night, she, thinking she saw a light in her
chamber after she was in bed, knocked for her maid,
who presently came to her, and she asked why she left
a candle burning in her chamber? The maid said
she left none, and there was none but what she
[79]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


brought with her at that time. Then she said it was
the fire; but that the maid told her was quite out,
and said she believed it was only a dream; whereupon
she said it might be so, and composed herself again to
sleep; but about two of the clock she was awakened
again, and saw the apparition of a little woman between her curtain and her pillow, who told her she
was her mother, and that she was happy, and that by
twelve of the clock that day she should be with her;
whereupon she knocked again for her maid, called for
her clothes, and when she was dressed, went into her
closet, and came not out again till nine, and then
brought out with her a letter sealed to her father;
brought it to her aunt, the Lady Everard; told her
what had happened, and desired that, as soon as she
was dead, it might be sent to him. But the lady
thought she was suddenly fallen mad, and thereupon
sent presently away to Chelmsford for a physician
and surgeon, who both came immediately, but the
physician could discern no indication of what the
lady imagined, or of any indisposition of her body;
notwithstanding the lady would needs have her let
blood, which was done accordingly; and when the
young woman had patiently let them do what they
would with her, she desired that the chaplain might
be called to read prayers, and when prayers were
ended she took her guitar and psalm-book and sat
down upon a chair without arms, and played and sung
so melodiously and admirably, that her music-master,
who was then there, admired at it; and near the
stroke of twelve she rose and sat herself down in a
great chair with arms, and presently fetching a strong
[80o




THE POINT OF VERACITY


breathing or two, immediately expired, and was so
suddenly cold as was much wondered at by the physician and surgeon. She died at Waltham, in Essex,
three miles from Chelmsford, and the letter was sent
to Sir Charles at his house in Warwickshire; but he
was so afflicted with the death of his daughter, that
he came not till she was buried; but when he came,
he caused her to be taken up, and to be buried by
her mother at Edmonton, as she desired in her letter."
This was about the year one thousand six hundred
and sixty-two or sixty-three; and this relation the
Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Gloucester had
from Sir Charles Lee himself; and Mr. Beaumont
printed it in his book above-mentioned, from the
bishop's own mouth.
The relations which I have given above are not
like the trifling accounts too often given of these
things, and therefore causing grave ones to be ridiculed in common with them. They are of that
nature that, whoever attempts to ridicule them,
will, instead of turning them into jest, become the
object of ridicule himself.
The first story, which has in it such amazing circumstances, and such uncommon and dreadful incidents concerning the butler in Ireland, is (as the
reader sees) attested by no less a personage than an
Earl of Orrery, two bishops, and many other noblemen and gentlemen, being present and eye-witnesses
of what the earl said. What greater testimony
would the most incredulous have? They say such
things are told for interest; what interest could an
earl and many noblemen have in promoting such
6               [81]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


an imposture? The incredulous say likewise, great
and learned men delight sometimes in putting frauds
upon the world, and after laugh at their credulity;
would a number of noble laymen choose two prelates
to carry on such a fraud? And would two pious
bishops probably combine with several, and some
servants there present, in spreading such a deceit?
It is past believing, and it demands the strictest of
moral faith that can be given, to the most unquestioned history that the pen of man ever wrote.
The second story is founded, first, upon the experience of one of the most ingenious men of that
age, Dr. Donne, and then upon the proof made by
his friend, Sir Robert Drury, who could at first
scarce believe it; and shall we doubt the credit of
men whose company (for their credit be it spoken) a
British ambassador was proud of gaining?
The third story is told by Luther himself, who
began the great work of the Reformation.
The fourth is told by one that was a king's public
minister, and told from his own trial of the matter,
where he could have no interest in the telling it.
The fifth is related by those great historians the
Lord Clarendon and Sir Richard Baker, as a truth
relied upon by themselves, and fit to be credited by
their readers.
The sixth and last was related to Mr. Beaumont
by the Lord Bishop of Gloucester, who received the
account from Sir Charles Lee himself, to whose
granddaughter the matter happened.
Men who will not believe such things as these, so
well attested to us, and given us by such authorities,
[82




FANTASTICAL INCREDULITY


because they did not see them themselves, nor anything of the like nature, ought not only to deny the
demon of Socrates, but that there was such a man as
Socrates himself; they should not dispute the genii
of Caesar, Cicero, Brutus, Mark Antony, but avow
that there were never any such men existing upon
earth, and overthrow all credible history whatsoever.
Meanwhile all men, but those who run such lengths
in their fantastical incredulity, will, from the facts
above-mentioned, rest satisfied that there are such
things as evil and good genii, and that men have
sometimes a commerce with them by all their senses,
particularly those of seeing and hearing, and will not
therefore be startled at the strange fragments of
histories which I am going to relate of our young
Duncan Campbell, and look upon some wonderful
adventures which he performed by the intervention
of his familiar demon or genius, as falsehoods, only
because they, are uncommon and surprising; more
especially since they were not done in a corner, but
by an open way of profession of a predictor of things,
in the face of the metropolis of London, where he
settled young, as will appear in the progress of his
life. However, some people, notwithstanding all this,
may allege that though a man may have a genius
appear to him so as to convey into his mind, through
his senses, the knowledge of things that are to come
to pass, yet this happens but on very eminent and
extraordinary occasions. The murder, for example,
of a prime minister, and the favourite of a monarch,
in such a manner as it was performed on the great
Buckingham by Felton, was a thing so uncommon
[ 83]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


that-it might perhaps deserve, by the permission of
heaven, an uncommon prediction. The others likewise are instances eminent in their way, particularly
that of the Lady Everard's niece; for that young
lady being then marriageable, and a treaty for that
end being on foot with Sir William Perkins, the
divine Providence foreseeing that such a state might
call away her thoughts, hitherto bent on Him and
spiritual affairs, and fix them on the trifles of this
world, might perhaps permit her to be called by a
holy mother to a state of happiness she before her
enjoyed, lest her daughter's mind should change, and
she go into the ways of a sinner. But if these supereminent, these scarce and rare examples, may be admitted of man's holding a conversation with the
spiritualised beings of another world, it will, however, be far below the dignity of human reasons,
methinks, to make such large concessions to people
who pretend to converse that wonderful way, as to
allow them the credit of being able to do it upon
every slight occasion, and every indifferent occurrence of human life.
I cannot help acknowledging that a man of wisdom
may, at first thought, make such an objection; but
reflection will presently retract it, and the same good
sense that taught him to make an objection so well
upon the first thought, will teach him, upon second
thoughts, to acquiesce in the answer.
Infants may have, no doubt, the benefit of such an
attending genius, as well as people more advanced in
years; as may be seen in one of the instances, which
is a very famous one, relating to the boy born in
[84]




PREDICTIONS OF DEATH


Prussia, who was attended by one constantly from
the time of his birth to his death. Besides, it is a
mistake in the understanding to imagine that death,
which is the determination and end of life, is of more
consequence to be known than the manner of regulating that life'; for in reality, according to the right
way of considering, death, or the determination of a
man's life, derives its importance from  the steps
which he took in the due regulation of it; and
therefore every the least step proper to be taken for
the due regulation of life, is of more consequence to
be known than the death of a person, though this at
first sight carries the face of significance, and the
other nothing better than the look of a trifle. Marriage, for example, is a step in life of the utmost
importance, whether we consider that estate with
regard to this or the next world. Death is but the
finishing of one person, but marriage may be the introducing of many into the world with happiness;
it is therefore a thing of more importance to be
known beforehand, and consequently more worthy
of the communication of a genius to the man with
whom he conversed. Possidonius tells us that a certain Rhodian dying, nominated six of his equals,
and said who should die first, who next, and so on,
and the event answered the prediction; why then
(though some people are apt to make a jest of it) may
not a man, by the intervention of his good genius,
tell a woman that is to have six husbands who she
shall have first, who next, and so on, and the event
answer the prediction? If men of learning may acquire such knowledge as to attain to extraordinary
[85 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


things by their ordinary faculties, why may not
ordinary things be taught others in this extraordinary way? For will anybody say that it is easier
for a man to accommodate himself to the knowledge
of a demon or genius than for a demon or genius to
accommodate himself to the knowledge of a man?
Certain it is, indeed, that if this good genius (that
induces a man with a prophetic kind of science) be
anything resembling a good angel, the primary end
of his being permitted to direct mankind, must consist in things relating more to their welfare hereafter;
yet I know not why they may not sometimes inspire
or openly direct them in human knowledge and in
things relating to human life, so they are of a good
tendency, more especially since a good inspiration
may be a counterbalance to the bad knowledge
which some have been inspired with by evil spirits.
I would not be thought to go too far in a point of
this nature, and have therefore (though perhaps I
could say much more if I followed entirely my own
private opinion, and would venture to introduce it
here, in order to communicate it to others, and make
it a public one) said no more on this head than
what divines generally teach.
But the most unexceptionable mistress that teaches
these things to be in Nature is experience. If we
had very many people gifted this way, the extraordinary thing would have become ordinary, and therefore I cannot help wondering that it should be so
ordinary a thing for wise men themselves to wonder
too much at things because they are extraordinary,
and suspect them as frauds because they are uncommon.
[ 86]




LEGERDEMAIN


There has scarce been any period of time in which
some person of this prophetic class has not existed,
and has not been consulted by the greatest of men,
and their predictions found at the long run to come
true. Ignorant men always rise to their belief of
them by experience, and the most learned men submit
their great opinions to experience; but your men of
middling talents, who make up their want of reason
with bustling obstinacy and noisy contradiction,
have been and still continue to be their own opposers; and without discovering the reason for what
they say, they content themselves with having the
laugh on their sides, and barely affirming without
proving that it is a kind of ideal juggle, and intellectual legerdemain, by which these modern predictors
impose things upon the eye and reason, as the corporeal eye is imposed upon by sleight of hand; but it
is a strange thing that men of such quick reason
cannot give us a sample of the frauds. Thus I remember to have read, I cannot tell where, a story of
some courtiers, who, when a great artist of legerdemain was to act before the king, pretended to be so
quick-sighted, that nothing he did should escape
their discovery, were left by his nimble fingers in
the dark, and forced at last, with blushes, to own
they had no better eyes than other people. In a
word, if people will be led by suspicions and remote
possibilities of fraud and contrivance of such men,
all historical truth shall be ended, when it consists
not with a man's private humour or prejudice to
admit it. Now, therefore, to prove by experience
and undeniable testimonies, that these kind of genii
[87]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


will submit to little offices in order to bring men to
greater good, I will give the reader three or four
curious passages that will set the reasonable reader
at ease and prepare him for reading the passages of
Mr. Campbell's life with pleasure, and as a fine
history of wonderful facts, that though they seem
to surpass belief yet ought to have his credit.
What in nature can be more trivial than for a
spirit to employ himself in knocking on a morning
at the wainscot by the bed's head of a man who got
drunk over night, according to the way that such
things are ordinarily explained? And yet I shall
give you such a relation of this, that not even the
most devout and precise Presbyterian will offer to
call in question, for Mr. Baxter, in his historical
discourse of apparitions, writes thus:" There is now in London an understanding, sober,
pious man, oft one of my hearers, who has an elder
brother, a gentleman of considerable rank, who, having formerly seemed pious, of late years does often
fall into the sin of drunkenness. He often lodges
long together here in his brother's house; and whensoever he is drunk and has slept himself sober, something knocks at his bed's head, as if one knocked on
a wainscot; when they remove his bed it follows him;
besides other loud noises, on other parts where he
is, that all the house hears, they have often watched
him, and kept his hands lest he should do it himself.
His brother has often told it me, and brought his
wife, a discreet woman, to attest it; who avers,
moreover, that as she watched him, she has seen his
shoes under the bed taken up, and nothing visible to
[88]




BAXTER'S TESTIMONY '


touch them. They brought the man himself to me,
and when we asked him how he dare sin again after
such a warning, he had no excuse; but being persons
of quality, for some special reason of worldly interest
I must not name him.
" Two things are remarkable in this instance," says
Mr. Baxter; "first, what a powerful thing temptation and fleshly concupiscence is, and what an hardened heart sin brings men to; if one rose from the
dead to warn such sinners, it would not of itself
persuade them."
"Secondly," says Mr. Baxter, "it poses me to
think what kind of spirit this is, that has such a
care of this man's soul, which makes me hope he will
recover. Do good spirits dwell so near us, or are
they sent on such messages? or is it his guardian
angel? or is it the soul of some dead friend that
suffers, and yet retaining love to him, as Dives to his
brethren, would have him saved? God yet keeps
such things from us in the dark."
So far we have the authority of the renowned and
famous Mr. Baxter, who makes this knocking of the
spirit at the bed's head (though what we commonly
call frivolous) an important errand.
Another relation of this kind was sent to Mr. John
Beaumont (whom I myself personally know), and
which he has inserted in his account of genii, or
familiar spirits, in a letter by an ingenious and
learned clergyman of Wiltshire, who had given him
the relation likewise before by word of mouth. It
is as follows:"Near eighty years since, in the parish of Wilcot
[89]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


(which is by the Devizes), in the vicar's house, there
was heard for a considerable time the sound of a bell
constantly tolling every night; the occasion was this.
A debauched person who lived in the parish came
one night very late and demanded the keys of the
church of the vicar, that he might ring a peal,
which the vicar refused to let him have, alleging the
unseasonableness of the time, and that he should, by
granting his desires, give a disturbance to Sir George
Wroughton and his family, whose house adjoined to
the churchyard. Upon this refusal the fellow went
away in a rage, threatening to be revenged of the
vicar, and going some time after to the Devizes, met
with one Cantle or Cantlow, a person noted in those
days for a wizard, and he tells him how the vicar
had served him, and begs his help to be even with
him. The reply Cantlow made him was this: ' Does
he not love ringing? He shall have enough of it.'
And from that time a bell began to toll in his house,
and continued so to do till Cantlow's death, who
confessed at Fisherton Gaol in Sarum (where he was
confined by King James during his life), that he
caused that sound, and that it should be heard in
that place during life. The thing was so notorious
that persons came from all parts to hear it, and
King James sent a gentleman from London on purpose to give him satisfaction concerning the truth of
the report." Mr. Beaumont had likewise this story,
as he tells, from the mouth of Sir George Wroughton's own son, with this remarkable circumstance,
that if any in the house put their heads out of the
window they could not hear the sound, but heard
[90]




A PROPHETIC SPIRIT


it immediately again as soon as they stood in the
room.
The reader here sees that good and bad genii
exercise themselves upon very little functions, knocking at beds'-heads and ringing of bells. For proof
of this we have the testimonies of two divines, of a
man of quality and probity, and the same satisfaction that a learned king had, who sent to inquire
into the matter; and after this there can be, I think,
no room for doubt.
But to carry the point still nearer home, inasmuch
as I know some will leave no stone unturned to make
the extraordinary actions which the person whose
life I write has performed appear impostures, and
inasmuch as for this end they may say that though
many people may have been gifted in this extraordinary manner, yet not so as to make a profession of
it, and therefore from thence they take their suspicions, I shall in this place, to remove every nicest
scruple they can have touching this affair, give the
reader one instance of this kind likewise before I
proceed with my history.
There lived not many years since a very aged
gentlewoman, in London, in Water Lane, by Fleet
Street, whose name was Pight, who was endowed with
a prophetic spirit. And the ingenious Mr. Beaumont, whom I personally knew, and who had a
familiar genius himself, gives the world this account
of her. " She was very well known,n says he, "to
many persons of my acquaintance now living in London. Among others, a gentleman, whose candour I
can no way suspect, has told me that he often re91]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


sorted to her, as to an oracle; and that as soon as he
came into her presence, she would usually tell him
that she knew what he was coming for, for that she
had seen his spirit for some time before. And without his saying anything to her, she would commonly
tell him what the business was which he came to consult her about, and what the event of it would be,
which he always found to fall out as she said; and
many other persons now living can testify the like
experience of her as to themselves."
Before I conclude this chapter, I am willing to give
the public one further little history of the like kind
with the foregoing ones, with this only difference, that
if it be valued according to the worth the world has
always attributed to the very ingenious person whom
it concerns, it will be far the most famous of them
all, and therefore fittest to finish this chapter, and to
crown this part of the work, in which we are showing
that persons have had a perception of genii or spirits,
not visible at the same time to others.
The famous Torquatus Tasso, prince of the Italian
poets, and scarce inferior to the immortal Virgil himself, and who seems to enjoy the intermingled gifts of
the most accurate judgment of this Latin poet, and
the more fertile and copious invention and fancy
of the Greek one, Homer, strongly asserted his own
experience in this kind. His life was written and published in French, anno 1692, by D. C. D. D. V., who,
in his preface, tells us, that in what he writ, he has
followed chiefly the history given us in Italian by
John Baptista Manso, a Neapolitan gentleman, who
had been a very intimate friend to Tasso. In his life,
[92]




TORQUATUS TASSO


among other things, he acquaints us that Tasso was
naturally of that melancholic temperament which has
always made the greatest men, and that this temperament being aggravated by many hardships he had undergone, it made him sometimes beside himself, and
that those melancholy vapours being despatched, he
came again to himself, like those that return from
fits of the falling sickness, his spirit being as free as
before. That near his latter end he retired from the
city of Naples to his friend Manso, at Bisaccia, a small
town in the kingdom of Naples, where Manso had a
considerable estate, and passed an autumn there in the
diversions of the season.
And here the French author gives us an account
of Tasso's sensible perception of a genius as follows:As after these amusements he usually retired to his
chamber to entertain himself there with his friend
Manso, the latter had the opportunity to inquire into
one of the most singular effects of Tasso's melancholy
(of this heroic melancholy, as I may call it), which
raised and brightened his spirit, so far it was from
depressing or rendering it obscure, and which among
the ancients would have reasonably caused them to
have ascribed a familiar demon to him, as to Socrates.
They were often in a warm debate concerning this
spirit, with which Tasso pretended to have so free a
communication. " I am too much your friend," said
Manso to him one day, " not to let you know what
the world thinks of you concerning this thing, and
what I think of it myself. Is it possible that, being
enlightened as you are, you should be fallen into so
great a weakness as to think you have a familiar
[ 93 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


spirit? and will you give your enemies that advantage
to be able to prove, by your own acknowledgment,
what they have already published to the world? You
know they say you did not publish your ' Dialogue of
the Messenger' as a fiction; but you would have men
believe that the spirit which you make to speak there
was a real and true spirit; hence men have drawn
this injurious consequence, that your studies have embroiled your imagination, so that there is made in it
a confused mixture of the fictions of the poets, the
inventions of the philosophers, and the doctrine of
religion."
" I am not ignorant," answered Tasso, c" of all that
is spread abroad in the world on the account of my
'Dialogue.' I have taken care divers times to disabuse my friends, both by letter and word of mouth.
I prevented even the malignity of my enemies, as you
know, at the time I published my 'Dialogue.' Men
could not be ignorant that I composed it for the
young Prince of Mantua, to whom I would explain,
after an agreeable manner, the principal mysteries
of the Platonic philosophy. It was at Mantua itself,
after my second flight from Ferrara, that I formed
the idea of it, and I committed it to paper a little
after my unfortunate return. I addressed it to this
prince, and all men might have read in the epistle
dedicatory the protestation I there make that this
'Dialogue' being written according to the doctrine
of the Platonics, which is not always conformable to
revealed truths, men must not confound what I expose there as a philosopher with what I believe as a
Christian. This distinction is by so much the more
[94]




DEMON OR SPIRIT?


reasonable, that at that time nothing extraordinary
had happened to me, and I spake not of any apparition. This can be attested by all those with whom
I lodged, or whom I frequented in this voyage, and
therefore there is no reason for confounding the fiction
of my 'Dialogue' with what has happened to me
since."-"  I am persuaded of all you say to me,"
replied Manso, " but truly I cannot be of what you
believe at present concerning yourself. Will you
imagine that you are in commerce with a spirit?
And I ask you of what order is that spirit?  Shall
we place him in the number of the rebels, whom
their pride precipitated into the abyss? or of the
intelligences, who continued firm in faith and submission to their Creator? For there is no mean to
take in the true religion, and we must not fall into
the extravagances of the gnomes and sylphs of the
Cabalists.
" Now, the spirit in question cannot be a demon.
You own that, instead of inspiring you with anything
contrary to piety and religion, he often fortifies in you
the maxims of Christianity; he strengthens your faith
by profound reasonings, and has the same respect with
you for sacred names and things. Neither can you
say that it is an angel, for though you have always
led a regular life, and far from all dissoluteness,
though for some years past you have applied yourself, after a particular manner, to the duties of a true
Christian, you will agree with me that these sorts of
favours are not common, that a man must have attained to a high degree of sanctity, and not be far from
the pureness of celestial spirits, to merit a familiar
[95]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


converse and bear a harmony with them. Believe
me, there is nothing in all these discourses which
you imagine you have with this spirit. You know
better than any man those symptoms which the black
humours wherewith you are tormented causes in you.
Your vapours are the source of your visions, and yourself would not judge otherwise of another person to
whom a like thing should happen, and you will come
to this in your own respect also, if you will make a
mature reflection, and apply yourself to blot out, by
an effort of reason, these imaginations which the
violence of your evil effect causes in you."" - "You
may have reason," replied Tasso, "to think so of the
things that pass in me; but as to myself, who have
a sensible perception of them, I am forced to reason
after another manner. If it were true that the spirit
did not show himself to me but in the violent assault
of my vapours; if he offered to my imagination but
wandering and confused species, without connection
or due sequel; if he used to me frivolous reasonings
which ended in nothing; or if, having begun some
solid reasoning, he broke it off on a sudden and left
me in darkness, I should believe with you that all
things that pass are but mere dreams and phantoms;
but it is quite otherwise: this spirit is a spirit of
truth and reason, and of a truth so distinct, of a
reason so sublime, that he raises me often to knowledges that are above all my reasonings, though they
appear to me no less clear; that he teaches me things
which, in my most profound meditations, never came
into my spirit, and which I never heard of any man,
nor read in any book. This spirit, therefore, is some[96]




OCULAR EVIDENCE


what of real; of whatsoever order he be I hear and
see him, nevertheless for its being impossible for me
to comprehend and define him." Manso did not yield
to these facts which Tasso would have passed for
proofs. He pressed him with new questions, which
were not without answers. " Since you will not believe me on my word," said Tasso to him another day,
after having well disputed, "I must convince you by
your own eyes that these things are not pure imaginations." And the next day, conversing together
in the same chamber, Manso perceived that on
a sudden he fixed his eyes towards the window,
and that he stood as it were immovable; he called
to him and jogged him many times, but instead
of answering him -"See there the spirit," says
Tasso at last, "that has been pleased to come and
visit me, and to entertain himself with me; look on
him, and you will acknowledge the truth of what I
say."
Manso, somewhat surprised, cast his eyes towards
the place he showed him, and perceived nothing but
the rays of the sun passing through the glass, nor did
he see anything in all the chamber, though he cast
his eyes round it with curiosity, and he desired him
to show him the spirit, which he looked for in vain,
while he heard Tasso speak with much vehemency.
He declares in a letter which he wrote concerning
this to the Admiral of Naples, that he really heard
no other voice but Tasso's own; but they were sometimes questions made by him to the pretended spirit,
sometimes answers that he made to the pretended
questions of the spirit, and which were couched in
7               [ 97]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


such admirable terms, so efficacious concerning subjects so elevated and so extraordinary, that he was
ravished with admiration, and dared not to interrupt
him. He hearkened therefore attentively, and being
quite beside himself at this mysterious conversation,
which ended at last by a recess of the spirit, as he
found by the last words of Tasso; after which Tasso,
turning himself to him, " Well," said he, " are your
doubts at last dissipated?" -- On the contrary,"
answered Manso, "I am more embroiled than ever.
I have truly heard wonderful things, but you have
not showed me what you promised me."- "You
have seen and heard," resumed Tasso, "perhaps more
than --  "  He stopped here, and Manso, who
could not recover himself of his surprise, and had
his head filled with the ideas of this extraordinary
entertainment, found himself not in a condition to
press him farther. Meanwhile he engaged himself
not to speak a word to any man of these things he
had heard, with a design to make them public, though
he should have liberty granted him. They had
many other conversations concerning this matter,
after which Manso owned he was brought to that
pass that he knew not what to think or say, only
that if it were a weakness in his friend to believe
these visions, he much feared it would prove contagious to him, and that he should become at last
as credulous as himself.
Dr. Beaumont, who is still living, and with whom
I have had formerly some acquaintance myself, has
set down among the others this relation at large
concerning Tasso, and gives this reason for it:[98




A SHORT EULOGIUM


Because," says the doctor, " I think it contains a
sufficient answer to what many learned friends have
said to myself on the like occasion."
Perhaps it may not be ungrateful to the reader if
I subjoin here the short eulogium written on Tasso
by the famous Thuanus, which is as follows:" Torquatus Tasso died about the forty-fifth year
of his age, a man of a wonderful and prodigious wit,
who was seized with an incurable fury in his youth,
when he lived at the court of Ferrara, and nevertheless, in lucid intervals, he wrote many things both in
verse and prose with so much judgment, elegance,
and extreme correctness of style, that he turned at
length that pity which many men had conceived for
him, into an amazement; while by that fury which
in others makes their minds outrageous, or dulls
them after it was over, his understanding became as
it were more purified, more ready in inventing things,
more acute in aptly disposing them after they were
invented, and more copious in adorning them with
choice words and weight of sentences; and that
which a man of the soundest sense would scarce
excogitate at his leisure, with the greatest labour
and care imaginable, he, after a violent agitation
of the mind set beside itself, naturally performed
with a wonderful felicity, so that he did not seem
struck with an alienation of mind, but with a divine
fury. He that knows not these things, which all
men know that have been in Italy, and concerning
which himself sometimes complains, though modestly,
in his writings, let him read his divine works, and he
must necessarily conclude either that I speak of an[99]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


other man than Tasso, or that these things were
written by another man than Tasso."
After having given my readers so many memorable
accounts concerning the perception men have had in
all ages, and still continue to have, of genii or familiar spirits, by all the senses, as seeing, hearing,
&c., which accounts have been attested by men of
the greatest learning and quality, if any of them
still remain dissatisfied I am contented, and desire
them for their punishment to lay down the book
before they arrive at the more pleasant parts of it,
which are yet to come, and not to read one tittle
farther. These unbelieving gentlemen shall then be
at liberty, according as their different spirits dictate,
to ridicule me in the same manner as many more
learned and greater men than I have been satirised
before my time by persons of a like infidel temper,
who would fain pass incredulity upon the world as
wisdom; and they may, with all the freedom in
nature, bestow upon me those merry appellations
which I very well know such extraordinary freethinkers imagine to belong of right to any author
that either believes himself, or would possess the
world with an opinion and belief that there is such a
thing as the holding commerce and conversation, in
this habitable world, with genii and familiar spirits.
I shall only first tell them all I have to say to terminate the dispute between them and me.
Those who, to give themselves the air and appearance of men of solid wisdom and gravity, load other
men, who believe in spirits, with the titles of being
men of folly, levity, or melancholy, are desired to
[100 1




AUTHORITIES MENTIONED


learn, that the same folly (as they are pleased to
term it) of opinion is to be found in the greatest
men of learning that ever existed in the universe.
Let them, in order to be convinced of this, read
Apuleius's book, "De Deo Socrat.;" Censorinus's
book, " De Die Nat.," c. 3; Porphyrius, in his book
De Abstinentia;" Agrippa, in his treatise  De
Occult. Phil.," 1. 3, c. 22, and also c. 21; Natalis
Comes in his "Myth.," 1. 4, c. 3; Maraviglia, in
his "Pseudomantia," Dissertation 9 and 11, and
Animadversion 10; Plato, in his "Timaeus" and
"Cratylus;" Ammianus Marcellinus's "History,"
book 21; Hieronimus Cardanus, in his book "De
Vita Propria," c. 47; the great Kircher, in his
" Edipus _Egyptiacus," vol. 3, p. 474; Pausanias,
in " Cliac. Poster.;" that immortal orator, Cicero,
lib. 1, "De Divinatione;" lib. 2, "De Natura
Deorum; the "Histoire Prodigieuse," written by
Pere Arnault; and a book entitled "Lux e Tenebris," which is a collection of modern visions and
prophecies in Germany, by several persons; translated into Latin by Jo. Amos. Comenius, printed at
Amsterdam, 1655. And if they will be at the pains
of having due recourse to these quotations, they will
find, that all these men, whose learning is unquestionable, and most of whom have been in firm and
undisputed possession of fame for many centuries,
have all unanimously agreed in this opinion (how
foolish soever they may think it), that there ever was
and ever would be a communication held between
some select men and genii or familiar spirits. I must
therefore desire their pardon if I rejoice to see them
[ 101 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


remain wise by themselves, and that I continue to
be esteemed by them a fool among so much good
company.
Others, out of a mere contempt of religion, or
cowardly, for fear of being thought pusillanimous
by men, turn bravoes to Heaven, and laugh at every
notion of spirits as imbibed from the nurse or imposed upon us by priests, and may top these lines
upon us with an elegant and a convincing magisterial
sneer, though the divine Socrates was of our opinion,
and even experienced it to be true, having a genius
himself.
The priests but finish what the nurse began
And thus the child imposes on the man.
These bring into my mind a saying of Sir Roger
'Estrange on Seneca, which I must apply to Socrates:
I join in opinion with a Christian heathen, while
they remain heathen Christians.
The third sort, out of a pretended veneration to
religion and divinity, may call me superstitious and
chimerical. To them I answer, I will continue
chimerical and superstitious with St. Austin, who
gives the same opinion in his "Civitate Dei" with
Ludovicus Vives; let them be solider and more religious divines than St. Austin in disowning it.
Thus I bid these austere critics heartily farewell; but
let my better-natured readers go on and find a new
example of this conversation, being held with the
genii by our Duncan Campbell.


[ 102 ]




CHAPTER SIX


A NARRATIVE OF MR. CAMPBELL'S COMING TO LONDON
AND TAKING UPON HIM THE PROFESSION OF A PREDICTOR; TOGETHER WITH AN ACCOUNT OF MANY
STRANGE THINGS THAT CAME TO PASS JUST AS HE
FORETOLD.
T      proceed on regularly with the life of
young Duncan Campbell, I must let the
reader know that he continued thus conversing with his little genius, as is set
forth above in the dialogue he had with me, and predicting many things of the like nature, as I have described, till the year 1694, when he was just fourteen
years of age, and then he left Scotland.
But before I come to speak of the manner of his
departure from thence, his half-native country, inasmuch as his father was of that country, and he had
his education there (what education he could have,
being deaf and dumb); I must let the reader know
that in the year 1692, my very good friend Mrs. Campbell, his mother-in-law, died, and left him there at
Edinburgh, an orphan of twelve years of age. He
was, I may venture to say, the most beautiful boy of
that age I ever knew; and the sensible reader, who
considers a child of good birth, with the misfortunes
of being deaf and dumb, left fatherless and mother[103 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


less in the wide world, at twelve years old, without
any competency for his maintenance and support,
without any relations, in a manner, that knew him
or assisted him, all the little fortune his father had
having been lost in the civil commotions in Scotland, as I have related above, need not hear me describe the compassion I and many more had for him,
because such a reader must certainly feel in his own
bosom the same lively acts of pity and commiseration, at the hearing of such a mishap, as I had at the
seeing it, or at least as I have now revived afresh
within me at the relating it.
However, it came so to pass, that a person of the
name of Campbell, and who was a distant relation of
the boy, though he himself was but in indifferent circumstances, was resolved to see him provided for one
way or another, in a manner somewhat suitable to his
condition, and till that time to take the best care of
him himself that he was able.
Several ladies of quality, who had known his perfections, coveted to make the boy one of their domestics, as a page, or a playfellow to their children; for
though he could not speak, he had such a vivacity
in all his actions, such a sprightliness of behaviour,
and such a merriment accompanying all his gestures,
that he afforded more entertainment than the prettiest and wittiest little prattlers at those years are
wont to do. Mr. Campbell had certainly accepted
of some of these fortunate offers for his little cousin,
which were many of them likely to prove very advantageous, if it had not been put in his head by some
friends, particularly myself, that if he had a mind
[ 104]




ARRIVAL IN LONDON


to dispose of the boy in that manner, the best way
he could take would be to present him to the late
Earl of Argyll, who for his name's sake, and his
father's sake, as well as the qualifications and endowments of the boy, would more naturally (according
to all probability) take a greater pleasure and delight in him, and consequently provide better for
him, and with a more lasting care, than any other
person of quality that had a sudden liking to him,
which might change, and took him as a stranger out
of a bare curiosity. Mr. Campbell was by these reasons overruled in the disposal of his little dumb prophetical cousin, as he called him, and resolved that
an offer should be made of him to the present illustrious Duke of Argyll's most noble father. But it so
unfortunately happened, that the earl making very
much a longer stay at London than was expected,
Mr. Campbell, the uncle, sent our young Duncan
Campbell, his nephew, handsomely accoutred, and
with a handsome sum of money in his pocket, by sea,
with Captain Meek, of Kirkcaldy, to London, with
letters of recommendation to the earl's favour, and
just a few days before young Duncan arrived in London the earl was set out on his journey to his seat in
Scotland.
I had now left him for near three years, not having seen him since about a year after his mother's
death; and then coming to London, I had, by mere
accident, an appointment to meet some Scotch gentlemen at the Buffalo, in Charing Cross. There
happened at that time to be a great concourse of
Scotch nobility there at an entertainment, and one
[ 105 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


of the ladies and gentlemen passing by and seeing
one of my friends, desired him to come in, and told
him both he and his companions should be very
welcome to partake of the diversion. The lady told
him they had got a lovely youth, a Scotch miracle,
among them, that would give us exquisite delight,
and write down to us all the occurrences of our
future lives, and tell us our names upon our first
appearance. The moment I heard of it, Duncan
Campbell came into my head; but as it is a thing
not rare to be met with in Scotland for secondsighted persons to tell such things, and as the Earl
of Argyll was in the north, I thought little Duncan
had been under his protection and with him, and
did not dream of meeting with him there, and accordingly told my friend, before I went in, that
I believed I knew a lad in Scotland would exceed
this in foresight, let him be as dexterous in his arit
as he would.
As soon as I entered the room I was surprised to
find myself encompassed and surrounded by a circle
of the most beautiful females that ever my eyes beheld. In the centre of this angelic tribe was seated
a heavenly youth, with the most winning comeliness
of aspect that ever pleased the sight of any beholder
of either sex; his face was divinely fair, and tinged
only with such a sprightly blush, as a painter would
use to colour the picture of health with, and the
complexion was varnished over by a blooming, like
that of flourishing fruit, which had not yet felt the
first nippings of an unkind and an uncivil air; with
this beauty was joined such a smiling draught of all
[106]




CENTRE OF ATTRACTION


the features, as is the result of pleasantry and good
humour. His eyes were large, full of lustre, majestic,
well-set, and the soul shone so in them, as told the
spectators plainly how great was the inward vivacity
of his genius. The hair of his head was thick, and
reclined far below his shoulders; it was of a fine
silver colour, and hung down in ringlets like the
curling tendrils of a copious vine. He was by the
women entertained, according to the claim which so
many perfections, joining in a youth just ripeninginto
manhood, might lay to the benevolent dispositions
of the tender sex. One was holding the basin of
water, another washing a hand, a third, with a towel,
drying his face, which another fair had greedily
snatched the pleasure of washing before, while a
fourth was disposing into order his silver hairs with
an ivory comb, in a hand as white, and which a
monarch might have been proud to have had so
employed in adjusting the crown upon his head;
a fifth was setting into order his cravat; a sixth stole
a kiss, and blushed at the innocent pleasure, and
mistook her own thoughts as if she kissed the angel
and not the man; and they all rather seemed to adore
than to love him, as if they had taken him not for
a person that enjoyed the frequent gift of the
second-sight, but as if he had been some little
prophet peculiarly inspired; and while they all thus
admired and wondered, they all consulted him as an
oracle. The surprise of seeing a young man so
happy amidst the general concurring favours of the
fair, made me for awhile lost in a kind of delightful
amazement, and the consideration of what bliss he
[ 107]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


was possessed, made me scarce believe my own eyes
when they told me it was Duncan Campbell, who I had
left an unhappy orphan at Edinburgh. But so it was,
though he was much altered in stature, being now
shot up pretty fast in his growth since I had seen
him, and having gained a kind of a fixed comportment, such as we may daily observe in those who
are taking leave of their minority and stepping into
a stage of maturer life.
The first remarkable thing I knew him do in
London, being in this splendid company, where there
were so many undoubted witnesses of quality too
that had ocular proof of his predictions at that
public tavern. I choose to record it here in the
first place according to its due order. It was in the
year 1698.
Among this angelical class of beauties were Dr.
W[e]lw[oo]d's lady and daughter. Upon earth there
was not sure a more beautiful creature than the
daughter was; she was the leading light of all the
sparkling tribe; and Otway's character suits her
exactly, for she was among ten thousand eminently
fair. One would imagine prosperous and lucky
fortune was written upon her face, and that nothing
unhappy could be read in so fair a book; and it
was, therefore, the unanimous consent of all, that,
by way of good omen to the rest, his predictions
should begin to be opened luckily that day, and that
therefore he should first of all be consulted about
her.
Accordingly the mother, to be satisfied of his
talent before she proceeded to any other questions,
[ 108 ]




A RELUCTANT PROPHET


asked him in writing if he knew the young lady, her
name, and who she was. After a little ruminating
and pondering upon the matter, and taking an exact
view of the beauty, he wrote down her name, told
Mrs. W[e]lw[oo]d she was her daughter, and that
her father was a doctor. Convinced, by his so readily telling the name and quality of persons he had
never seen in his lifetime, that fame had not given a
false character of his capacity, she proceeded in her
questions as to her future fortune. He gazed afresh
at her very eagerly for some time, and his countenance during that time of viewing her seemed to be
ruffled with abundance of disturbance and perplexity.
We all imagined that the youth was a little touched
at the heart himself with what he saw, and that
instead of telling hers, he had met in her bright
eyes, with his own destiny, the destiny of being for
ever made a slave and a captive to so many powerful and almost irresistible charms.
At length, after having a long debate within himself, which we thought proceeded from the strugglings
of love and passion, he, fetching a great sigh, which
still convinced us more, took the pen and wrote to
Mrs. W[e]lw[oo]d, that he begged to be excused,
and that his pen might remain as dumb and silent
as his tongue on that affair. By this answer we
concluded, one and all, that our former conjectures
were true, and we joined in pressing him the more
earnestly to deliver his real and sincere opinion concerning the accidents upon which the future fortunes
of her life were to turn and depend. He showed
many mighty reluctances in the doing it; and I
[ 109 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


have often since considered him in the same anguish
as the late great Dr. Radcliffe, who was endeavouring by study to save a certain fair one, whom he
loved with a vehemence of temper, and who was (as
his reason told him) got far away beyond the reach
of the art of physic to recover. At last, he wrote in
plain terms that his backwardness and unwillingness
to tell it arose from his wishes that her fortune
would be better than his certain foreknowledge of it
told him it would be, and begged that we would rest
satisfied with that general answer, since it was in so
particular a case where he himself was a well-wisher,
in vain, to the lady about whom he was consulted.
The young lady herself thinking that, if she knew
any disasters that were to befall her, she might, by
knowing the nature of them beforehand and the time
when they were likely to happen, be able, by timely
prudence and forecast, to avert those evils, with
many beseechings urged him to reveal the fatal secret.
After many struggles to avoid it, and as many instances made to him both by mother and daughter
for the discovery of his prescience on that point, he
complied with very great difficulty, and, blotting the
paper with tears that trickled fast from his eyes, he
gave her the lamentable scroll containing the words
that follow, viz.: —" I wish it had not fallen to my
lot to tell this lady, whom everybody that but once
looks at her must admire, though they must not
have leave to love, that she is not much longer to
be possessor of that lovely face, which gains her such
a number of adorers. The small-pox will too soon
turn a ravisher, and rifle all those sweets and charms
f 110 ]




A DIRE PREDICTION


that might be able to vanquish a king and to subdue
a conqueror of mighty battles. Her reign is doomed,
alas! to be as short as it is now great and universal.
I believe she has internal beauties of the mind not
the least inferior to those external excellences of the
body, and she might perhaps, by the power of her
mind alone, be absolute queen of the affections of
men, if the small-pox threatened not too surely to
be her further enemy, and, not contented to destroy
the face, was not perversely bent to destroy the
whole woman. But I want words to express my
sorrow. I would not tell it if you did not extort the
baneful secret from my bosom. This fair creature,
whose beauty would make one wish her immortal,
will, by the cruel means of the small-pox, give us too
sudden a proof of her mortality. But neither the
mother nor herself ought too much to repine at
this, seeing it appears to be the decree of Providence,
which is always to be interpreted as meant for our
good, and seeing it may be the means of translating
her the sooner only to her kindred angels, whose
beauty she so much resembles here on earth, and to
be among the lowest class of whom is better than
being the greatest beauty of the world here below,
and wearing an imperial crown. While I comfort
you I cannot help the force of nature, which makes
me grieve myself, and I only give you, because you
compel me to it, so particular and so exact an answer
to so particular and so exacting a question."
The mother, who took the paper, was prudent
enough to conceal from the daughter what he said,
but nature would force its way, and bubbled from
[ 111]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


her eyes; and the daughter perceiving that, pressed
hard to see it, and wept at the consideration that
hard fate (though she knew not particularly what
way) was to befall her. Never surely was anything
so beautiful in tears, and I obtained of the mother
to see the writing. At last, in general terms, to free
her from suspense of mind, it was told her that some
trouble should happen to her that would diminish
her beauty. She had courage enough to hear that
misfortune with disdain, and crying, " If that be all,
I am armed, I don't place much pride in that, which
I know age must shortly after destroy, if trouble did
not do it before;" and she dried up her tears, and
(if what Mr. Bruyere says be true, viz., that the last
thing a celebrated woman thinks of when she dies is
the loss of her beauty) she showed an admirable pattern of female philosophy in bearing such a cruel
prediction with such unspeakable magnanimity as
exceeded even the patience of stern stoicism, considering she was a woman, to whom beauty is more
dear than life.
If any evil that is impending over people's heads
could be evaded by foreknowledge, or eluded by art,
she had the fairest opportunity of having this prediction annulled (which would have been more to the
satisfaction of the predictor than knowing it verified)
than ever any woman had. Her mother was specifically told that the fatal distemper should be the
small-pox. Her father was, and is still, a very eminent physician; and distempers of that kind especially
are much more easily prevented by care than cured
by art, and by art more easily set aside when there is a
[ 11 ]




PREDICTION FULFILLED


timely warning given to a physician to prepare the
body against the danger of the poison, than when the
distemper has once caught hold of a body at unawares, when it is unpurged of any gross humours
that may accompany it. But neither the foreknowledge and caution of the mother, nor the skill and
wisdom of the great physician her father, were sufficient to ward off the approaching harm that was
written in the books of fate. Not many suns had
finished their yearly courses before she was forced to
submit to the inevitable stroke of death, after the
infectious and malicious malady had first ravaged
her beauty, rioted in all her sweets, and made an
odious deformed spectacle of the charmer of mankind.
The death of the daughter worked hard upon the
mother's bowels, and dragged her speedily after her
with a broken heart to the grave.
This lady, whose fortune so great and so distinguished an assembly had chosen to hear as a
happy forerunner and lucky omen of all their own,
which were to be asked afterwards in their turns,
proving, so contrary to their expectations, already
unfortunate in the prediction, and having been in
tears about the matter, disheartened all the rest of
the beauties from consulting him further that day.
The person who kept the tavern, by name Mrs. Irwin,
alleged that as some people were very fortunate and
others unfortunate upon the same day, so one lady
might be before told a mishap one minute, and
another lady all the prosperity in nature the very
next minute following, and therefore that what the
unfortunate lady had heard was not to be taken as
8              [ 118 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


ominous, or as what could malignantly influence
the day, neither ought it to be the least hindrance
to any who had the curiosity of being let into the
secrets of time beforehand. However, whether the
ladies were convinced or no, if she prevailed over
their belief in that point she could not prevail over
their humour, which (though they might not believe
the former prediction ominous to themselves) was
naturally awed for fear of the like, peradventure, for
a time; and so it was agreed, nemine contradicente,
as a witty lady wrote it down, that no more petitions
should for that day be presented by any of that
company to his dumb, yet oracular, majesty. Mrs.
Irwin, however, would have her way; said she did
not presume to such honour as to call herself of that
company, and that therefore she might consult him
without breaking through the votes of the assembly.
Many endeavoured to dissuade her, but as she was
passionately fond of knowing future events, and had
a mighty itch to be very inquisitive with the oracle,
about what might happen, not only to herself but
her posterity; it was agreed that he should have the
liberty of satisfying her curiosity, since she presumed
her fortune was sure to be so good, and was so forward and eager for the knowledge of it. But, alas,
such is too often the fantastical impulse of nature
unluckily depraved, that it carries often into wishes
of knowing what when known we would be glad to
unknow again, and then our memory will not let us
be untaught.
Mrs. Irwin was at that time in a pretty commodious
way of business, everything in plenty round about her,
[114 ]




A PROUD MOTHER


and lived more like a person of distinction, that kept
such a cellar of wine, open house, and a free table,
than like one who kept a tavern. She brought in
her three pretty children, that were then almost
babies, the youngest having not long been out of the.
nurse's arms, or trusted to the use of its own legs.
These children she loved as a mother should love
children; they were the delight of her eyes all day,
and the dream of her imagination all night. All the
passions of her soul were confined to them; she was
never pleased but when they were so, and always angry
if they were crossed; her whole pride was centred in
them, and they were clothed and were attended more
like the infants of a princess than of a vintner's relict.
The fortune of these was what she had near at heart,
and of which she was so eager of being apprised.
Her impatience was proportionate to the love she
had for them, and which made her wish to foreknow
all the happiness that was like to attend them. She
sat cheerfully down, presented one to him, and smiling,
wrote the question in general terms, viz., "Is this boy
to be happy or unhappy?" A melancholy look once
more spread itself all over the face of the predictor,
when he read the two inquisitive words, and he seemed
mightily to regret being asked a question to which he
was, by his talent of foreseeing, compelled to give so
unwelcome an answer. The colour of the poor woman
flushed and vanished alternately, and very quick, and
she looked not quite like the picture of despair, but
a disconsolate woman, with little hopes on one hand,
and great doubts and dismal fears on the other. She
confessed she read great evil in the troubles of his
[115 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


face, thanked him for his good nature, told him that
they all knew, that though he could foretell, he could
not alter the acts and decretals of fate, and therefore
desired him to tell her the worst, for that the misfortunes, were they never so great, would be less
dreadful to her than remaining in the state of fear
and suspension. He at last wrote down to her that
great and unexpected and even unavoidable accidents
would involve the whole family in new calamities,
that the son she asked him about would have the
bitterest task of hardship to go through withal, while
he lived, and that to finish all more unhappily, he
would be basely and maliciously brought to an untimely end, by some mortal enemy or other; but that
she should not trouble herself so much on that head,
she would never see it, for it would happen some
years after she was departed from the world. This
melancholy account closed up the book of predictions
for that day, and put a sad stop to all the projected
mirth and curiosity. Now I must tell the reader
how and when the event answered the prediction,
and in a few words, it was thus: poor Mrs. Irwin, by
strange accidents, decayed in the world, and dying
poor, her sons were forced to be put apprentices to
small trades; and the son whom the above-mentioned
prediction concerned was, for stealing one cheese from
a man in the Haymarket, severely prosecuted at the
Old Bailey, and on Wednesday, the twenty-third of
December, 1713, hanged at Tyburn, with several
other criminals.
The two foregoing passages are of so tragical a
nature that it is time I should relieve the minds of
[ 116 ]




TWO FAIR WOMEN


my readers with some histories of ladies who consuited him with more success and advantage, to whom
his predictions were very entertaining, when they came
to pass in their favour, the relation whereof will consequently be agreeable to all readers who have within
them a mixture of happy curiosity and good-nature.
Two ladies, who were the most remarkable beauties
in London, and the most courted, turned at the same
time their thoughts to matrimony, and being satiated,
I may say wearied, with the pleasure of having continually after them a great number and variety of
adorers, resolved each, about the same time, to make
a choice of their several men, to whom they thought
they could give most happiness, and from whom they
might receive most. Their names (for they are both
persons of distinction) shall be Christallina and Urbana. Christallina was a virgin, and Urbana a young
widow. Christallina engrossed the eyes, the hearts,
and the sighs of the whole court, and wherever she
appeared put any court lady out of her place that
had one before in the heart of any youth, and was
the celebrated toast among the beau monde. Urbana's beauty made as terrible a havoc in the city;
all the citizens' daughters that had many admirers,
and were in fair hopes of having husbands when they
pleased themselves, as soon as Urbana had lost her
old husband, found that they every day lost their
lovers, and it was a great fear among the prettiest maids that they should remain maids still, as
long as Urbana remained a widow. She was the
monopoliser of city affection, and made many girls
that had large stocks of suitors bankrupts in the
[ 117




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


trade of courtship, and broke some of their hearts
when her charms broke of their amours. Well,
but the day was near at hand when both the belles
of the court and the city damsels were to be freed
from the ravages which these two tyrants, triumphant in beauty, and insolent in charms, made among
the harvest of love. Each had seen her proper man,
to whom the enjoyment of her person was to be
dedicated for life. But it being an affair of so lasting importance, each had a mind to be let into the
knowledge of the consequences of such a choice, as
far as possible, before they stepped into the irrevocable state of matrimony. Both of them happened to
take it into their heads that the best way to be entirely satisfied in their curiosity was to have recourse
to the great predictor of future occurrences, Mr. Duncan Campbell, whose fame was at that time spread
pretty largely about the town. Christallina and
Urbana were not acquainted with each other, only
by the report which fame had made of beauty. They
came to Mr. Campbell's on the same day, and both
with the same resolution of keeping themselves concealed, and under masks, that none of the company
of consulters who happened to be there might know
who they were. It happened that on that very day,
just when they came, Mr. Campbell's rooms were
more than ordinarily crowded with curious clients of
the fair sex, so that he was obliged to desire these
two ladies, who expressed so much precaution against
and fear of having their persons discovered, to be
contented with only one room between them, and
with much ado they complied with the request, and
[ 118 ]




AN EFFECTIVE SNEEZE


condescended to sit together incog. Distant compliments of gesture passed between them, the dress
and comportment of each making them appear to be
persons of figure and breeding, and after three or
four modish curtsies, down they sat, without so much
as once opening their lips, or intending so to do.
The silence between them was very formal and profound for near half-an-hour, and nothing was heard
but the snapping of fans, which they both did very
tunably, and with great harmony, and played, as it
were, in concert.
At last one of the civil well-bred mutes happening to sneeze, the other very gracefully bowed, and
before she was well aware out popped the words,
" Bless you, madam." The fair sneezer returned the
bow with an " I thank you, madam." They found
they did not know one another's voices, and they
began to talk very merrily together, with pretty great
confidence, and they taking a mutual liking from conversation, so much familiarity grew thereupon instantly between them, that they began not only to
unmask, but to unbosom themselves to one another,
and confess alternately all their secrets. Christallina
owned who she was, and told Urbana the beau and
courtier that had her heart. Urbana as frankly declared that she was a widow, that she would not become the lady's rival, that she had pitched upon a
second husband, an alderman of the city. Just by
that time they had had their chat out, and wished
one another the pleasure of a successful prediction,
it came to Cristallina's turn to visit the dumb gentleman, and receive from his pen oracular answers to
[119]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


all the questions she had to propose. Well, he accordingly satisfied her in every point she asked him
about; but while she was about this, one of Mr.
Campbell's family going with Urbana to divert her
a little, the widow railed at the virgin as a fool, to
imagine that she should ever make a conquest of the
brightest spark about the court, and then let fly
some random bolts of malice to wound her reputation for chastity. Now it became the widow's turn
to go and consult, and the same person of Mr. Campbell's family in the meantime entertained Christallina.
The maid was not behindhand with the widow; she
railed against the widow, represented her as sometimes
a coquette, sometimes a lady of pleasure, sometimes
a jilt, and lifted up her hands in wonder and amazement that Urbana should imagine so rich a man as
an alderman such-a-one should fall to her lot.  Thus
Urbana swore and protested that Christallina could
never arrive at the honour of being the wife to the
courtly Secretarius, let Mr. Campbell flatter her as
he would; and Christallina vowed that Campbell
must be a downright wizard if he foretold that such
a one as Urbana would get Alderman Stiffrump for
a husband, provided a thing so improbable should
come to pass.
However, it seems Duncan had told them their
own names and the names of their suitors, and told
them further, how soon they were both to be married, and that, too, directly to their hearts' content,
as they said rejoicingly to themselves, and made
their mutual gratulations.
They went away each satisfied that she should
[120]




THE COURT BEAUTY WAITING TO (()NSULT
DUNCAN CAMPBELL


She railed against the wilow, represented her as
sometimes a coquette




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MUTUAL DETRACTION


have her own lover, but Christallina laughed at Mr.
Campbell for assigning the alderman to Urbana, and
Urbana laughed at him for promising the courtier
to the arms of Christallina.
This is a pretty good figure of the tempers of two
reigning toasts with regard to one another.
First, their curiosity made them, from resolving to
be concealed, discover one another wilfully, from utter
strangers grow as familiar as old friends in a moment,
swear one another to secrecy, and exchange the sentiments of their hearts together, and from being
friends become envious of each other's enjoying a
similitude of happiness; the compliments made on
either side face to face were, upon the turning of the
back, turned into reflections, detraction, and ridicule; each was a self-lover and admirer of her own
beauty and merit, and a despiser of the other's.
However, Duncan Campbell proved at last to be
in the right. Urbana was wrong in her opinion of
Christallina's want of power over Secretarius, and
Christallina was as much out in her opinion that
Urbana would miss in her aim of obtaining Stiffrump; for they both proved in the right of what
they thought with regard to their own dear single
persons, and were made happy according to their
expectations, just at the time foretold by Mr.
Campbell.
Christallina's ill wishes did not hinder Urbana
from being mistress of Alderman Stiffrump's person
and stock, nor did Urbana's hinder Christallina from
showing herself a shining bride at the ring in Secretarius's gilded chariot, drawn by six prancers of
[121]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


the proud Belgian kind, with her half-dozen of liveries,
with favours in their hats, waiting her return at the
gate of Hyde Park. Both loved and both envied, but
both allowed of Mr. Campbell's foreknowledge.
Having told you two very sorrowful passages, and
one tolerably successful and entertaining, I shall now
relate to you another of my own knowledge, that is
mixed up with the grievous and the pleasant, and
chequered, as it were, with the shade and the sunshine of fortune.
Though there are vicissitudes in every stage of
life under the sun, and not one ever ran continually
on with the same series of prosperity, yet those conditions which are the most liable to the signal alterations of fortune, are the conditions of merchants,
for professed gamesters I reckon in a manner as men
of no condition of life at all, but what comes under
the statute of vagabonds.
It was, indeed, as the reader would guess, a worthy
and a wealthy merchant, who was to run through
these different circumstances of being. He came and
visited our Mr. Campbell in the year 1707; he found
him amidst a crowd of consulters, and being very
eager and solicitous to know his own fortune just at
that critical juncture of time, he begged of him (if
possible) to adjourn his other clients to the day following, and sacrifice that one wholly to his use,
which, as it was probably more important than all
the others together, so he wrote down that he would
render the time spent about it more advantageous
to Mr. Campbell, and by way of previous encouragement, threw him down ten guineas as a retaining fee.
[122]




AN IMPORTANT CASE


Mr. Campbell, who held money in very little
esteem, and valued it so much too little that he has
often had my reprehensions on that head, paused a
little, and after looking earnestly in the gentleman's
face, and reading there, as I suppose, in that little
space of time in general, according to the power of
the second-sight, that what concerned him was highly
momentous, wrote him this answer, that he would
comply with his request, adjourn his other clients
to the day following, and set apart all the remnant of that, till night, for inspecting the future
occurrences of which he had a mind to be made a
master.
There is certainly a very keen appetite in curiosity.
It cannot stay for satisfaction; it is pressing for its
necessary repast, and is without all patience. Hunger
and thirst are not appetites more vehement and
more hard and difficult to be repressed than that of
curiosity; nothing but the present now is able to
allay it. A more expressive picture of this I never
beheld than in the faces of some, and the murmurs
and complaints of others in that little inquisitive
company, when the unwelcome note was given about
signifying an adjournment for only twenty-four
hours.
The colour of a young woman there came and
went a hundred times (if possible) in the space of
two minutes; she blushed like a red rose this moment,
and in the switch of an eyelash she was all over as
pale as a white one. The suitor, whose name her
heart had gone pit-a-pat for the space of an hour to
be informed of from the pen of a seer, was now de[1 3]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


ferred a whole day longer; she was once or twice
within an ace of swooning away, but he comforted
her in particular by telling her (though he said it
only by way of jest) that the day following would be
a more lucky day to consult about husbands than
the present that she came on. The answer was a
kind of cordial to her hopes, and brought her a little
better to herself.
Two others, I remember, sisters and old maids,
that it seems were misers, women ordinarily dressed,
and in blue aprons, and yet by relation worth no less
than two thousand pounds each, were in a peck of
troubles about his going and leaving them unsatisfied. They came upon an inquiry after goods that
were stolen, and they complained that by next morning at that time, the thief might be got far enough
off, and creep into so remote a corner, that he would
put it beyond the power of the devil, and the art of
conjuration, to find him out, and bring him back
again. The disturbance and anxiety that was to be
seen in their countenances was just like that which
is to be beheld in the face of a great losing gamester, when his all, his last great stake, lies upon the
table, and is just sweeping off by another winning
hand into his own hat.
The next was a widow, who bounced because, as
she pretended, he would not tell her what was best
to do with her sons, and what profession it would be
most happy for them to be put to; but in reality
all the cause of the widow's fuming and fretting was,
not that she wanted to provide for her sons, but for
herself; she wanted a second husband, and was not
[ 124 ]




A WIDOW EXPECTANT


half so solicitous about being put in a way of educating those children she had already, as of knowing
when she should be in a likelihood of getting more.
This was certainly in her thoughts, or else she would
never have flounced about in her weeds, from one
end of the room to the other, and all the while of
her passion smile by fits upon the merchant, and
leer upon a young pretty Irish fellow that was
there. The young Irishman made use of a little eyelanguage; she grew appeased, went away in quite
a good humour, scuttled too airily downstairs for a
woman in her clothes, and the reason was certainly
that she knew the matter before, which we took
notice of presently after; the Irishman went precipitately after her downstairs without taking his
leave.
But neither were the two misers for their gold,
the virgin for a first husband, nor the widow for a
second, half so eager, as another married woman
there, was for the death of her spouse. She had put
the question in so expecting a manner for a lucky
answer, and with so much keen desire appearing
plainly in her looks, that no big-bellied woman was
ever more eager for devouring fruit; no young hasty
bridegroom, just married to a beauty, more impatient for night and enjoyment, than she was to know
(what she thought a more happy moment), the moment of her husband's last agonising gasp. As her
expectation was the greatest, so was her disappointment too, and consequently her disorder, upon his
going and leaving her unresolved. She was frantic,
raging, and implacable; she was in such a fury at the
[125]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


delay of putting off her answer to the day following,
that in her fury she acted as if she would have given
herself an answer, which of the two should die first, by
choking herself upon the spot, with the indignation
that swelled in her stomach and rose into her throat
on that occasion. It may look like a romance to say
it, but indeed they were forced to cut her lace, and
then she threw out of the room with great passion;
but yet had so much of the enraged wife left (beyond
the enraged woman) as to return instantly upstairs,
and signify very calmly, she would be certain to be
there next day, and beseeched earnestly that she
might not meet with a second disappointment.
All this hurry and bustle created a stay a little
too tedious for the merchant, who began to be impatient himself, especially when word was brought up
that a fresh company was come in: but Mr. Campbell was denied to them; and to put a stop to
any more interruptions, the merchant and the dumb
gentleman agreed to slip into a coach, drive to a
tavern in the city, and settle matters of futurity over
a bottle of French claret.
The first thing done at the tavern was Mr. Campbell's saluting him upon a piece of paper by his name,
and drinking his health. The next paper held a
discourse of condolence for a disaster that was passed
long since, namely, a great and considerable loss that
happened to his family in the dreadful conflagration
of the city of London. In the third little dialogue
which they had together, he told the merchant that
losses and advantages were general topics, which a
person, unskilled in that art, might venture to assign
[t 126 ]




SUSPENSE OF MIND


to any man of his profession, it being next to impossible that persons who traffic should not sometimes
gain and sometimes lose. - "But," said Mr. Campbell, " I will sketch out particularly and specify to
you some future misfortunes, with which you will
unavoidably meet; 't is in your stars, it is in destiny,
that you should have some trials, and therefore,
when you are forewarned, take a prudent care to be
forearmed with patience, and by longanimity, and
meekly and resignedly enduring your lot, render it
more easy, since impatience can't avert it, and will
only render it more burthensome and heavy." He
gave these words to the merchant, who pressed for
his opinion that moment. "By your leave," resuming the pen, said the dumb gentleman in writing,
( we will have this bottle out first and tap a fresh
one, that you may be warmed with courage enough
to receive the first speculative onset of ill fortune
that I shall predict to you, with a good grace, and
that may perhaps enable you to meet it, when it
comes to reduce itself into action, with a manful
purpose and all becoming resolution." The merchant
agreed to the proposal, and put on an air of the
careless and indifferent as well as he could, to signify
that he had no need to raise up an artificial courage
from the auxiliary forces of the grape. But nature,
when hard pressed, will break through all disguises,
and not only notwithstanding the air of pleasantry
he gave himself, which appeared forced and constrained, but in spite of two or three sparkling and
enlivening bumpers, a cloud of care would ever and
anon gather and shoot heavily across his brow,
[127]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


though he laboured all he could to dispel it as
quickly, and to keep fair weather in his countenance.
Well, they had cracked the first bottle and the
second succeeded upon the table, and they called to
blow a pipe together. This pipe Mr. Campbell
found had a very ill effect; it is certainly a pensive
kind of instrument, and fills a mind anything so disposed with disturbing thoughts, black fumes, and
melancholy vapours, as certainly as it doth the mouth
with smoke. It plainly took away even the little
sparks of vivacity which the wine had given before;
so he wrote for a truce of firing those sort of noxious
guns any longer, and they laid down their arms by
consent, and drank off the second bottle. A third
immediately supplied its place, and at the first glass
of the opening of the bottle Mr. Campbell began to
open to him his future case in the following words:
- " Sir, you have now some ventures at sea from
such and such a place, to such a value. Do not be
discomforted at the news which you certainly will
have within three months (but 'twill be false at last),
that they are, by three different tempests, made the
prey of the great ocean, and enrich the bottom of
the sea, the palace of Neptune. A worse storm than
all these attends you at home, a wife who is and will
be more the tempest of the house wherein she lives.
The high and lofty winds of her vanity will blow
down the pillars of your house and family; the high
tide of her extravagance will roll on like a resistless
torrent, and leave you at low water, and the ebb of
all your fortunes. This is the highest and the most
cutting disaster that is to befall you; your real ship[128]




A GLOOMY OUTLOOK


wreck is not foreign but domestic; your bosom friend
is to be your greatest foe, and even your powerful
undoer for a time; mark what I say, and take courage; it shall be but for a time provided you take
courage; it will, upon that condition, be only a short
and wholesome taste of adversity given to you, that
you may relish returning prosperity with virtue, and
with a greater return of thanks to Him that dispenses it at pleasure to mankind. Remember,
courage and resignation is what I advise you to; use
it, as becomes you, in your adversity, and believe
that as I foretold that adversity, so I can foretell
a prosperity will again be the consequence of those
virtues; and the more you feel the one ought not to
cast you down, but raise your hopes the more, that
he who foretold you that so exactly could likewise
foretell you the other." The merchant was by this
put into a great suspense of mind, but somewhat
easier, by the second prediction being annexed so
kindly to the first fatal one. They crowned the
night with a flask of Burgundy, and then parting,
each went to their respective homes.
The reader may perchance wonder how I, who
make no mention of my being there (as in truth I
was not at the tavern), should be able to relate this
as of my own knowledge; but if he pleases to have
patience to the end of the story, he will have entire
satisfaction in that point.
About half a year after the merchant came again,
told him that his prediction was too far verified, to
his very dear cost, and that he was now utterly undone and beyond any visible means of a future
9              [ 129 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


recovery, and doubting lest the other fortunate part
of the prediction was only told him by way of encouragement (for groundless doubts and fears always
attend a mind implunged in melancholy), besought
him very earnestly to tell him candidly and sincerely
if there was no real prospect of good, and rid him at
once of the uneasiness of such a suspension of thought;
" but pray do," said he, with all the vehemence of
repeated expostulation, " satisfy me if there are any
further hopes on this side the grave?"
To this Duncan Campbell made a short but a very
significant reply in writing. "May the heavens
preserve you from a threatening danger of life. Take
care only of yourself, great and mighty care, and if
you outlive Friday next, you will yet be great and
more fortunate than ever you was in all the height
of your former most flourishing space of life." He
coloured inordinately when Duncan Campbell said
Friday, and conjured him to tell him as particularly
as he could what he meant by Friday.  He told
him he could not particularise any further, but that
great danger threatened him that day; and that
without extraordinary precaution it would prove
fatal to him, even to death. He shook his head, and
went away in a very sorrowful plight. Friday passed,
Saturday came, and on that very Saturday morning
came likewise the joyful tidings that what ventures
of his were given over for lost at sea were all come
safe into the harbour. He came the moment he received those despatches from his agent to Mr. Duncan
Campbell's apartment, embraced him tenderly, and
saluted him with much gladness of heart, before a
[ 130]




A FAMOUS ORACLE


great room full of ladies, where I happened to be
present at the time; crying out in a loud voice, before he knew what he said, that Mr. Campbell had
saved his life; that Friday was his birthday, and he
had intended with a pistol to shoot himself that very
day. The ladies thought him mad; and he, recovered from his ecstasy, said no more, but sat down till
Mr. Campbell dismissed all his clients; and then we
three went to the tavern together, where he told me
the whole little history or narrative just as is above
related.
The fame which Mr. Duncan Campbell got by the
foregoing and several other predictions of the like kind,
was become very large and extensive, and had spread
itself into the remotest corners of this metropolis.
The squares rung with it; it was whispered from one
house to another through the more magnificent streets,
where persons of quality and distinction reside; it
catched every house in the city, like the news of stock
from Exchange Alley; it run noisily through the lanes
and little thoroughfares where the poor inhabit; it
was the chat of the tea-table, and the babble of the
streets, and the whole town, from the top to the bottom, was full of it. Whenever any reputation rises
to a degree like this, let it be for what art or accomplishment, or on what account soever it will, malice,
envy, and detraction are sure to be the immediate
pursuers of it with full mouth and to hunt it down,
if possible, with full cry. Even the great Nostradamus, though favoured by kings and queens (which
always without any other reason creates enemies)
was not more pursued by envy and detraction for his
[131]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL
predictions in Paris and throughout France, than our
Duncan Campbell was in London, and even throughout England. Various, different, and many were the
objections raised to blot his character and extenuate
his fame, that, when one was confuted, another might
not be wanting to supply its place, and so to maintain a course and series of backbiting according to
the known maxim- " Throw dirt, and if it does
not stick, throw dirt continually, and some will
stick."
Neither is there any wonder; for a man, that has
got applauders of all sorts and conditions, must expect condemners and detractors of all sorts and
conditions likewise. If a lady of high degree, for
example, should say, smiling (though really thinking
absolutely what she says), for fear of being thought
over-credulous, " Well, I vow some things Mr. Campbell does are surprising, after all; they would be apt
to incline one to a belief that he is a wonder of a
man, for one would imagine the things he does impossible," why, then, a prude, with an assumed
supercilious air and a scornful "tihee," would, in
order to seem more wise than she was, reply, " Lard,
madam, it is more a wonder to me that you can be
imposed upon so. I vow to Gad, madam, I would
as soon consult an almanac-maker, and pin my faith
upon what he pricks down; or believe, like my creed,
in the cross which I make upon the hand of a gipsy.
Lard, madam, I assure your la'ship he knows no more
than I do of you. I assure you so, and therefore
believe me. He has it all by hearsay." If the lady
that believed it should reply, that if he had notice of
[132]




MALICE AND FOLLY


every stranger by hearsay, he must be a greater man
than she suspected, and must keep more spies in pay
than a prime minister, the prude's answer would be
with a loud laugh, and giggling out these words,
" Lard, madam, I assure you nothing can be more
easy; and so take it for granted."  Because she was
inclined to say so, and had the act of wisdom on her
side, forsooth, that she appeared hard of belief (which
some call hard to be put upon), and the other lady
credulous (which some, though believing upon good
grounds, are called) and so thought foolish; the
prude's answer would be thought sufficient and convincing.
Thus malice and folly, by dint of noise and impudence, and strong though empty assertions, often run
down modesty and good sense. Among the common
people it is the same, but only done in a different manner. For example, an ordinary person that had consulted might say (as he walked along), " There goes
the dumb gentleman, who writes down any name of a
stranger at first sight;" up steps a blunt fellow, that
takes stubbornness for sense, and says, " That is a
confounded lie; he is a cheat and an impostor, and
you are one of his accomplices. He'll tell me my
name, I suppose, if you tell it him first. He is no
more dumb than I am; he can speak and hear as
well as us, I have been with those that say they have
heard him. I wish I and two or three more had him
in our stable, and I warrant you with our cart-whips
we would lick some words out of his chops, as dumb
as you call him. I tell you't is all a lie and all a bite."
If the other desires to be convinced for himself by
[ 3s3 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


his own experience, the rougher rogue, who perhaps
has stronger sinews than the other, answers, " If you
lie any further I will knock you down;" and so he is
the vulgar wit, and the mouth of the rabble-rout, and
thus the detraction spreads below with very good success, as it does above in another kind.
As there are two comical adventures in his life
which directly suit and correspond with the foregoing reflections, this seems the most proper place
to insert them in. The first consists of a kind of
mob-way of usage he met with from a fellow, who got
to be an officer in the army, but by the following behaviour will be found unworthy of the name and the
commission.
In the year 1701 a lady of good quality came and
addressed herself to him much after the following
manner. She told him she had choice of lovers, but
preferred one above the rest, but desired to know his
name, and if she made him her choice what would
be the subsequent fate of such a matrimony. Mr.
Duncan Campbell very readily gave her down in
writing this plain and honest reply:- That of all
her suitors she was most inclined to a captain, a distinguished officer and a great beau (naming his name),
and one that had a great many outward engaging
charms sufficient to blind the eyes of any lady that
was not thoroughly acquainted with his manner of
living. He therefore assured her (and thought himself bound, being conjured so to do, having received
his fee, though there was danger in such plain and
open predictions) that he was a villain and a rogue in
his heart, a profligate gamester, and that if she took
[134]




TREACHERY AND REVENGE


him to her bed she would only embrace her own ruin.
The lady's woman, who was present, being in fee with
the captain, resolving to give intelligence for fear the
officer, her so good friend, should be disappointed in
the siege, slily shuffled the papers into her pocket,
and made a present of them to the military spark.
Fired with indignation at the contents, he vowed revenge, and in order to compass it conspires with his
female spy about the means. In fine, for fear of
losing the lady though he quarrelled with Duncan
Campbell, a method was to be found out how to secure her by the very act of revenge. At last it was
resolved to discover to her that he had found out
what she had been told by Mr. Campbell, but the
way how he had been informed was to remain a
secret. He did do so, and ended his discovery with
these words: -"I desire, madam, that if I prove
him an impostor you would not believe a word he
says." The lady agreed to so fair a proposal. Then
the captain swore that he himself would never eat a
piece of bread more till he had made Mr. Campbell
eat his words; nay, he insisted upon it that he would
bring him to his tongue, and make him own by word
of mouth that what he had written before was false
and calumnious. To which the lady answered again,
that if he performed what he said she would be convinced. This brave military man, however, not relying upon his own single valour and prowess to
bring about so miraculous a thing as the making a
person that was dumb to speak, he took with him
for this end three lusty assistants to combine with
him in the assassination. The ambuscade was settled
[ 135 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


to be at the Five Bells tavern in Wych Street in the
Strand. After the ambush was settled with so much
false courage, the business of decoying Mr. Campbell
into it was not practicable any other way than by
sending out false colours. The lady's woman, who
was by her own interest tied fast to the interest of
the beau, was to play the trick of Dalilah, and betray
this deaf and dumb Samson (as he will appear to be
a kind of one in the sequel of the story) into the
hands of these Philistines. She smooths her face
over with a complimenting lie from her mistress to
Mr. Campbell, and acted her part of deceit so well
that he promised to follow her to the Five Bells with
all haste, and so she scuttled back to prepare the
captain, and to tell him how lucky she was in mischief, and how she drew him out by smiles into perdition. The short of the story is, when they got him
in among them they endeavoured to assassinate him,
but they missed of their aim; yet it is certain they
left him in a very terrible and bloody condition, and
the captain went away in as bad a plight as the person was left in whom he assaulted so cowardly with
numbers, and to such disadvantage. I was sent for
to him upon this disaster, and the story was delivered
to me thus by one of the drawers of the tavern when
I inquired into it: -They began to banter him, and
speaking to him as if he heard, asked him if he knew
his own fortune; they told him it was to be beater,
to death. This was an odd way of addressing a deaf
and dumb man. They added they would make him
speak before they had done. The boy seeing he
made no reply, but only smiled, thought what passed
[136]




A MURDEROUS ATTACK


between them was a jest with an old acquaintance,
and withdrew about his business. The door being
fastened, however, before they began the honourable
attack, they vouchsafed to write down their intent in
the words above mentioned, which they had uttered
before, to make sure that he should understand their
meaning, and what this odd way of correction was for.
All the while, the maid who had brought him into it,
was peeping through a hole, and watching the event,
as appears afterwards. Mr. Campbell wrote them the
following answer, viz., that he hoped for fair play;
that he understood bear-garden as well as they; but
if a gentleman was amongst them he would expect
gentlemanly usage.
The rejoinder they made to this consisted, it
seems, not of words, but of action. The officer, in
conjunction with another ruffian, one of the strongest of the three he had brought, commenced the
assault. As good luck would have it, he warded off
their first blows, it seems, with tolerable success, and
a wine quart pot standing upon the table, Duncan
took to his arms, and at two or three quick blows,
well managed, and close laid in upon the assailants,
felled them both to the ground. Here it was that
tbre maid discovered her knowledge of it and privity
to the plot to the whole house; for she no sooner
sees the famous leader, the valiant captain, lie sprawling on the floor with bleeding temples, but she
shrieked out with all the voice she could exert,
" Murder, murder, murder!" Alarmed at this outcry, the master and all the attendants of the tavern
scampered upstairs, burst into the room, and found
[ 137]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


Duncan Campbell struggling with the other two,
and the quart pot still fast clenched in his hand,
which they were endeavouring to wrench from him.
The drawers rescued him out of their hands, and
inquired into the matter. The maid in a fright
confessed the whole thing. The officer and his associate rubbed their eyes as recovering from a stunning sleep, reeled as they went to rise, paid the
reckoning, and slunk pitifully away, or, as the rake's
term for it is, - they brushed off, and for all their
odds had the worst of the lay. I, who had some
authority with Mr. Campbell, by reason of my years
and the strict acquaintance I had with his mother,
when I came and found him in that pickle, and had
the whole relation told me by the people of the
house, though I could not forbear pitying him
within my own mind, took upon me to reprehend him,
and told him that these hardships would by Providence be daily permitted to fall upon him (for he
met with them twenty times) while he continued in
that irregular way of living and spending his time,
that might be so precious to himself and many others,
in drunkenness and debauchery; and I think the
lessons I wrote down to him upon that head, though
a little severe just at that juncture, were, notwithstanding, well timed, and did, as I guessed they
would, make a more solid impression on him than at
any other. In all these scuffles (whether it is that
being deaf and dumb an affront works deeper upon
a man, and so renders him far more fierce and resolute) it must be said that, though nature has been
very kind in making him very strong, robust, and
[ 1s8]




A LADY OF DISTINCTION


active withal, yet he has bore some shocks one would
imagine beyond the strength of a man, having sometimes got the better of five or six ruffians in rencounters of the like kind.
The next banter he met with was in a gentler
way from an unbelieving lady, and yet she came off
with very ill success, and the banter turned all upon
herself in the end.
A lady of distinction, whose name shall therefore
be concealed in this place, came with two or three
of her special friends, who took her for the most
merry, innocent, spotless virgin upon earth, and whose
modesty was never suspected in the least by her relations or servants that were nearest about her; after
having rallied Mr. Campbell with several frivolous
questions, doubting his capacity, and vexing and teasing him with gay impertinences beyond all patience,
was by him told that he did not take fees in his profession to be made a jest of like a common fortuneteller, but to do real good to those who consulted him,
as far as he was able by his predictions; that he was
treated with more respect by persons of a higher condition, though her own was very good, andso offered
her guinea back again with a bow and a smile. She
had a little more generosity of spirit than not to be
a little nettled at the proffer she had caused by so
coarse an usage. She affected appearing grave a little,
and told him she would be serious for the future, and
asked him to set down her name, which she had neglected before, to ask other questions that were nothing
to the purpose. He promised to write it down, but
pausing a little longer than ordinary about it, she
[1S9]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


returned to her former way of uncivil merriment and
ungallant raillery. She repeated to him, in three or
four little scraps of paper, one after another, as
fast as she could write them, the same words, viz.,
that he could not tell her name, nor whether she
was maid, wife, or widow; and laughed as if she
would split her sides, triumphing to the rest of her
companions over his ignorance and her own wit, as
if she had posed him and put him to an entire
stand. But see what this overweening opinion of
security ended in: the man of the second-sight was
not to be so easily baffled. Vexed at being so disturbed, and coming out of his brown study, he reaches
the paper and begins to write. Now it was the lady's
turn to suffer; she had deserved hearty punishment,
and it came into her hands with the note to a degree
of severity (as you will perceive by the contents of it
just now). She read it, and swooning away, dropped
from her chair. The whole room being in a bustle, I
that was in the outward chamber ran in. While Mr.
Campbell was sprinkling water in her face, a lady
snatched up the note to read it, at which he seemed
mightily displeased. I therefore, who understood his
signs, recovered it out of her hands by stratagem, and
ran to burn it, which I did so quick that I was not
discovered in the curiosity, which I must own I satisfied myself in by reading it first; a curiosity raised
too high by so particular an adventure, to be overcome in so little a time of thought, as I was to keep
it in my hands; and so I came by the knowledge of
it myself without being informed by Mr. Campbell.
This shows how a sudden curiosity, when there is not
[140]




A QUICK CONVERSION


time given to think and correct it, may overcome a
man as well as a woman; for I was never over curious in my life, and though I was pleased with the
oddness of the adventure, I often blushed to myself
since for the unmanly weakness of not being able to
step with a note from one room to another, to the
fireside, without peeping into the contents of it.
The contents of it were these. "Madam, since you
provoke me, your name is  -.  You are no widow,
you are no wife, and yet you are no maid; you have
a child at nurse at such a place, by such a gentleman,
and you were brought to bed in Leicestershire." The
lady, convinced by this answer of his strange and
mystical power, and pleased with his civility in endeavouring to conceal from others the secret, after
so many repeated provocations, though she showed
great disorder for that day, became one of his constant attenders some time after, and would not take
any step in her affairs without his advice, which, she
often has said since, she found very much to her advantage. She was as serious in her dealings with
him afterwards, and improved by being so, as she was
gay and turbulent with him before, and smarted for
it. In fine, she was a thorough convert, and a votary
of his; and the only jest she used afterwards to make
concerning him was a civil witticism to his wife, to
whom she was wont, every now and then, smiling, to
address herself after this manner - "Your husband,
madam, is a devil, but he is a very handsome and a
very civil one."
Not long after this came another lady with a like
intent to impose upon him, and was resolved, as she
[ 141 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


owned, to have laughed him to scorn if she had succeeded in her attempt. She had very dexterously
dressed herself in her woman's habit, and her woman
in her own; her footman squired the new-made lady
in a very gentlemanly dress, hired, for the purpose of
a disguise, from Monmouth Street. The strange and
unknown masqueraders entered Mr. Campbell's room
with much art. The fellow was by nature of a clean
make and had a good look, and from following a
genteel master when he was young, copied his gait a
little, and had some appearance of a mien, and a tolerable good air about him. But this being the first
time of his being so fine, and he a little vain in his
temper, he over-acted his part: he strutted too much;
he was as fond of his ruffles, his watch, his sword, his
cane, and his snuff-box, as a boy of being newly
breeched; and viewed them all too often to be thought
the possessor of any such things long. The affectation
of the chambermaid was insufferable; she had the
toss of the head, the jut of the bum, the sidelong
leer of the eye, the imperious look upon her lady, now
degraded into her woman, that she was intolerable,
and a person without the gift of the second-sight
would have guessed her to have been a pragmatical
upstart, though it is very probable that during that
time she fancied herself really better than her mistress. The mistress acted her part of maid the best,
for it is easier for genteel modesty to act a low part
than for affected vanity to act a high one. She
kept her distance like a servant, but would, to disguise things the better, be every now and then pert,
according to their way, and give occasion to be chid.
[142




TRANSFORMATIONS


But there is an air of gentility inborn and inbred to
some people, and even when they aim to be awkward,
a certain grace will attend all their minutest actions
and gestures, and command love, respect, and veneration. I must therefore own that there was not need
of a man's being a conjurer to guess who ought to be
the lady and who the maid; but to know absolutely
who was the lady and who was the maid did require
that skill. For how many such real ladies have we
that are made so from such upstarts, and how many
genteel waiting-women of great descent, that are
born with a grace about them, and are bred to good
manners. Mr. Campbell's art made him positive in
the case; he took the patches from the face of the
maid and placed them on the mistress's; he pulled
off her hood and scarf and gave it to the lady, and
taking from the lady her riding-hood, gave it the
maid in exchange; for ladies at that time of day
were not entered into that fashion of cloaking themselves. Then he wrote down that he should go out,
and ought to send his maid in to undress them quite,
and give the mistress her own clothes and the maid
hers, and with a smile wrote down both their names
and commended her contrivance; but after that it
was remarked by the lady that he paid her less respect than she expected, and more to her footman,
who was in gentleman's habit, whom he took by his
side, and told a great many fine things; whereas he
would tell the lady nothing further. The lady,
nettled at this, wrote to him that she had vanity
enough to believe that she might be distinguished
from her maid in any dress; but that he had shown
[ 143]




MR. DIJNCAN CAMPBELL


his want of skill in not knowing who that gentleman
was. Mr. Campbell told her her mistake in sharp
terms; and begging her pardon, assured her he knew
several chambermaids as genteel and as well-born as
her, and many mistresses more awkward and worse
born than her maid; that he did not go, therefore,
by the rule of guess and judging what ought to be,
but by the rule of certainty, and the knowledge of
what actually was. She, however, unsatisfied with
that answer, perplexed him mightily to know who
the man was. He answered, he would be a great
man. The lady laughed scornfully, and said she
wanted to know who he was, not what he would be.
He answered again, he was her footman, but that she
would have a worse. She grew warm, and desired to
be informed why, since he knew the fellow's condition,
he respected her so little and him so much; and accused him of want of practising manners if he had
not want of knowledge. He answered, "Madam,
since you will be asking questions too far, this footman will advance himself to the degree of a gentleman, and have a woman of distinction to his wife;
while you will degrade yourself by a marriage to be
the wife of a footman. His ambition is laudable,
your condescension mean, therefore I give him the
preference; I have given you fair warning and wholesome advice, you may avoid your lot by prudence,
but his will certainly be what I tell you."
This coming afterwards to pass exactly as was predicted, and his disappointing so many that had a
mind to impose upon him, has rendered him pretty
free from such wily contrivances since, though now
[144]




LOOKING FORWARD


and then they have happened, but still to the mortification and disappointment of the contrivers. But
as we have not pretended to say, with regard to these
things, that he has his genius always at his elbow or
his back, to whisper in his ear the names of persons,
and such little constant events as these; so, that we
may not be deemed to give a fabulous account of his
life and adventures, we think ourselves bound to give
the reader an insight into the particular power and
capacity which he has for bringing about these particular performances, especially that of writing down
names of strangers at first sight, which I do not doubt
will be done to the satisfaction of all persons who
shall read the succeeding chapter concerning the gift
of the second-sight.


10


l[145]




CHAPTER SEVEN


CONCERNING THE SECOND-SIGHT.
MR. MARTIN lately published a book,
entitled "A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland, called by the
ancient geographers, Hebrides." It
contains many curious particulars relating to the
natural and civil history of those islands, with a map
of them; and in his preface he tells us, that perhaps
it is peculiar to those isles that they have never been
described till now by any man that was a native of
the country, or had travelled them as himself has
done; and in the conclusion of the said preface he
tells us he has given here such an account of the
second-sight as the nature of the thing will bear,
which has always been reckoned sufficient among the
unbiassed part of mankind; but for those that will
not be satisfied they ought to oblige us with a new
scheme by which we may judge of matters of fact.
The chief particulars he has given us concerning the
second-sight are here set down, by way of abstract
or epitome, that they may not be too tedious to the
reader.
1. In the second-sight the vision makes such a
lively impression on the seers, that they neither see
nor think of anything else but the vision as long as
[ 146]




DIVERSE OPINIONS


it continues; and then they appear pensive or jovial
according to the object which was presented to
them.
2. At the sight of a vision the eyelids of the person are erected, and the eyes continue staring till the
object vanish, as has often been observed by the
author and others present.
3. There is one in Skye, an acquaintance of whom
observed, that when he sees a vision the inner part
of his eyelids turn so far upwards, that, after the
object disappears, he must draw them down with his
fingers, and sometimes employs others to draw them
down, which he finds to be much the easier way.
4. The faculty of the second-sight does not lineally
descend in a family, as some imagine, for he knows
several parents that are endowed with it, but not
their children, and so on the contrary. Neither is
it acquired by any previous compact; and after a
strict inquiry he could never learn from any among
them that this faculty was communicable any way
whatsoever.
Note, that this account is differing from the account that is given by Mr. Aubrey, a gentleman of
the Royal Society; and I think Mr. Martin's reason
here against the descent of this faculty from parents
to children is not generally conclusive. For, though
he may know parents endowed with it, and not
children, and so vice versa, yet there may be parents
who are endowed with it, being qualified, as Mr.
Aubrey has said (viz., both being second-sighted, or
even one to an extraordinary degree), whose children
may have it by descent. And as to this faculty
[ 147 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


being any other way communicable, since the accounts
differ, I must leave it to a further examination.
5. The seer knows neither the object, time, nor
place of a vision before it appears, and the same
object is often seen by different persons living at a
considerable distance from one another. The true
way of judging as to the time and circumstance of
an object is by observation; for several persons of
judgment without this faculty are more capable to
judge of the design of a vision than a novice that is
a seer. As an object appears in the day or night
it will come to pass sooner or later accordingly.
6. If an object be seen early in the morning,
which is not frequent, it will be accomplished in a
few hours afterwards. If at noon, it will commonly
be accomplished that very day; if in the evening,
perhaps that night; if after candles be lighted, it
will be accomplished that night. It's later always
in accomplishment by weeks, months, and sometimes
years, according to the time of the night the vision
is seen.
7. When a shroud is perceived about one, it is a
sure prognostic of death; the time is judged according to the height of it about the person; for if it
be not seen above the middle, death is not to be
expected for the space of a year, and perhaps some
months longer; and as it is frequently seen to ascend
higher towards the head, death is concluded to be at
hand in a few days, if not hours, as daily experience
confirms. Examples of this kind were shown the
author, when the persons of whom the observations
were made enjoyed perfect health.
[ 148 ]




SEEING AFAR


There was one instance lately of a prediction of
this kind, by a seer that was a novice, concerning
the death of one of the author's acquaintance; this
was communicated to a few only, and with great
confidence. The author being one of the number,
did not in the least regard it till the death of the
person, about the time foretold, confirmed to him the
certainty of the prediction. The aforesaid novice is
now a skilful seer, as appears from many late instances. He lives in the parish of St. Mary's, the
most northern in Skye.
8. If a woman be seen standing at a man's left
hand, it is a presage that she will be his wife,
whether they are married to others or unmarried at
the time of the apparition. If two or three women
are seen at once standing near a man's left hand, she
that is next him will undoubtedly be his wife first,
and so on, whether all three, or the man, be single or
married at the time of the vision, of which there are
several late instances of the author's acquaintance.
It is an ordinary thing for them to see a man that is
to come to the house shortly after, and though he be
not of the seer's acquaintance, yet he not only tells
his name, but gives such a lively description of his
stature, complexion, habit, &c., that upon his arrival
he answers the character given of him in all respects.
If the person so appearing be one of the seer's acquaintance, he can tell by his countenance whether
he comes in good or bad humour. The author
has been seen thus, by seers of both sexes, at some
hundreds of miles' distance. Some that saw him
in this manner had never seen him personally, and
[149]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


it happened according to their visions, without any
previous design of his to go to those places, his
coming there being purely accidental; and in the
nineteenth page of his book, he tells us that Mr.
Daniel Morrison, a minister, told him, that upon
his landing in the island Rona, the natives received
him very affectionately, and addressed themselves to
him with this salutation -" God save you, pilgrim!
You are heartily welcome here, for we have had repeated apparitions of your person amongst us;" viz.,
after the manner of the second-sight.
9. 'T is ordinary with them to see houses, gardens,
and trees, in places void of all three, and this in
process of time used to be accomplished; of which
he gives an instance in the Island of Skye.
10. To see a spark of fire fall upon one's arm or
breast, is a forerunner of a dead child to be seen in
the arms of those persons, of which there are several
fresh instances.
To see a seat empty at the time of one's sitting
in it, is a presage of that person's death quickly
after.
When a novice, or one that has lately obtained the
second-sight, sees a vision in the night-time without
doors, and comes near a fire, he presently falls into a
swoon.
Some find themselves, as it were, in a crowd of
people having a corpse which they carry along with
them; and after such visions the seers come in
sweating, and describe the people that appeared; if
there are any of their acquaintance among them,
they give an account of their names and also of the
[ 150 ]




DOMESTIC ANIMALS


bearers, but they know nothing concerning the
corpse.
All those that have the second-sight do not always
see these visions at once, though they are together
at the time; but if one who has this faculty designedly touch his fellow-seer at the instant of a
vision's appearing, then the second sees it as well as
the first.
11. There is the way of foretelling death by a cry
that they call Taisk, which some call a Wraith in
the lowland. They hear a loud cry without doors,
exactly resembling the voice of some particular person, whose death is foretold by it, of which he gives
a late instance, which happened in the village Rigg,
in Skye Isle.
12. Things are also foretold by smelling sometimes, as follows: - Fish or flesh is frequently smelt
in the fire, when at the same time neither of the two
are in the house, or, in any probability, likely to be
had in it for some weeks or months. This smell
several persons have who are endued with the secondsight, and it is always accomplished soon after.
13. Children, horses, and cows, have the secondsight, as well as men and women advanced in years.
That children see it, it is plain from their crying
aloud at the very instant that a corpse or any
other vision appears to an ordinary seer; of which
he gives an instance in a child when himself was
present.
That horses likewise see it's very plain, from their
violent and sudden starting when the rider or seer in
company with them sees a vision of any kind by night
[151]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


or day. It is observable of a horse that he will not
go forward that way till he be led about at some
distance from the common road, and then he is in a
sweat. He gives an instance of this in a horse in the
Isle of Skye.
That cows have the second-sight appears from
this; that if a woman milking a cow happens to see
a vision by the second-sight, the cow runs away in a
great fright at the same time, and will not be pacified for some time after.
In reference to this, Paracelsus, tom. 9,1. " De arte
presage," writes thus, "Horses also have their auguries, who perceive by their sight and smell wandering
spirits, witches, and spectres and the like things, and
dogs both see and hear the same."
Here in the next place the author answers objections that have lately been made against the reality
of the second-sight.
First, it's objected that these seers are visionary
and melancholy people, who fancy they see things
that do not appear to them or anybody else.
He answers, the people of these isles, and particularly the seers, are very temperate, and their diet is
simple and moderate in quantity and quality; so that
their brains are not, in all probability, disordered by
undigested fumes of meat or drink. Both sexes are
free from hysteric fits, convulsions, and several other
distempers of that sort. There are no madmen
among them, nor any instance of self-murder. It's
observed among them that a man drunk never has
a vision of the second-sight, and he that is a visionary would discover himself in other things as well
[152]




OBJECTIONS ANSWERED


as in that; nor are such as have the second-sight
judged to be visionaries by any of their friends or
acquaintance.
Secondly, it is objected that there are none among
the learned able to oblige the world with a satisfactory account of these visions; therefore they are
not to be believed.
He answers, if everything of which the learned are
not able to give a satisfactory account shall be condemned as false and impossible, we shall find many
other things, generally believed, which must be
rejected as such.
Thirdly, it's objected that the seers are impostors,
and the people who believe them are credulous, and
easy to be imposed upon.
He answers, the seers are generally illiterate and
well-meaning people, and altogether void of design;
nor could he ever learn that any of them made the
least gain of it; neither is it reputable among them
to have that faculty; besides, the people of the isles
are not so credulous as to believe an impossibility
before the thing foretold be accomplished: but when
it actually comes to pass, afterwards, it is not in
their power to deny it without offering violence to
their senses and reason. Besides, if the seers were
deceivers, can it be reasonable to imagine that all
the islanders who have not the second-sight should
combine together and offer violence to their understandings and senses to force themselves to believe a
lie from age to age? There are several persons
among them whose birth and education raise them
above the suspicion of concurring with an imposture,
[ 15 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


merely to gratify an illiterate and contemptible sort
of persons. Nor can a reasonable man believe that
children, horses, and cows could be engaged in a
combination to persuade the world of the reality of
a second-sight.
Every vision that is seen comes exactly to pass,
according to the rules of observation, though novices
and heedless persons do not always judge by those
rules, concerning which he gives instances.
There are visions seen by several persons in whose
days they are not accomplished; and this is one of
the reasons why some things have been seen that are
said never to have come to pass, and there are also
several visions seen which are not understood till
they are accomplished.
The second-sight is not a late discovery seen by
one or two in a corner or a remote isle, but it is
seen by many persons of both sexes in several isles,
separated about forty or fifty leagues from one
another. The inhabitants of many of these isles
never had the least converse by word or writing, and
this faculty of seeing visions having continued, as we
are informed by tradition, ever since the plantation
of these isles, without being disproved by the nicest
sceptic after the strictest inquiry, seems to be a clear
proof of its reality.
It's observable that itJ was much more common
twenty or thirty years ago than at present; for one
in ten does not see it now that saw it then.
The second-sight is not confined to the Western
Isles alone, the author having an account that it is
in several parts of Holland, but particularly in Bomb.
[ 154 ]




IN THE ISLE OF MAN


mel, where a woman has it, for which she is courted
by some and dreaded by others. She sees a smoke
about one's face, which is the forerunner of the
death of a person so seen, and she actually foretold
the deaths of several that lived there. She was living
in that town a few winters ago.
The second-sight is likewise in the Isle of Man,
as appears by this instance. Captain Leathes, the
chief commander of Belfast, in his voyage, 1690,
lost thirteen men by a violent storm, and upon his
landing in the Isle of Man, an ancient man, clerk to
a parish there, told him immediately that he had lost
thirteen men there; the captain inquired how he
came to the knowledge of that; he answered, that it
was by thirteen lights which he had seen come into
the churchyard, as Mr. Sacheverell tells us in his late
description of the Isle of Man. Note - that this is
like the sight of the corpse-candles in Wales, which
is also well attested.
Here the author adds many other instances concerning the second-sight, of which I shall set down
only a few.
A man in Knockow, in the parish of St. Mary's, the
northernmost part of Skye, being in perfect health,
and sitting with his fellow servants at night, was on
a sudden taken ill, dropped from his seat backward,
and then fell a-vomiting; at which the family was
much concerned, he having never been subject to the
like before; but he came to himself soon after, and
had no sort of pain about him. One of the family,
who was accustomed to see the second-sight, told
them that the man's illness proceeded from a very
[ 155]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


strange cause, which was thus: -An ill-natured
woman (whom he named) who lives in the next
adjacent village of Bornskittag, came before him in
a very angry and furious manner, her countenance
full of passion and her mouth full of reproaches, and
threatened him with her head and hands till he fell
over, as you have seen him. This woman had a
fancy for the man, but was like to be disappointed
as to her marrying of him. This instance was told
the author by the master of the family and others
who were present when it happened.
Sir Norman Macleod and some others playing at
tables, at a game called in Irish " falmermore," wherein
there are three of a side, and each of them throw the
dice by turns, there happened to be one difficult point
in the disposing of one of the table-men. This obliged
the gamester to deliberate before he was to change
his man, since upon the disposing of it the winning
or losing of the game depended; at length the butler,
who stood behind, advised the player where to place
the man, with which he complied and won the game.
This being thought extraordinary, and Sir Norman
hearing one whisper him in the ear, asked who advised
him so skilfully? He answered, it was the butler, but
this seemed more strange, for it was generally thought
he could not play at tables. Upon this Sir Norman
asked him how long it was since he had learned to
play?  And the fellow owned that he had rover
played in his life, but that he saw the spirit Brownie
(a spirit usually seen in that country) reaching his
arm over the player's head, and touching the part
with his finger where the table-man was to be placed.
[156 ]




IN THE ISLE OF SKYE


This was told the author by Sir Norman, and others
who happened to be present at the time.
Daniel Bow, alias Black, an inhabitant of Bornskittag, who is one of the precisest seers in the isles,
foretold the death of a young woman in Minginis
within less than twenty-four hours before the time,
and accordingly she died suddenly in the fields, though
at the time of the prediction she was in perfect health,
but the shroud appearing close about her head was
the ground of his confidence that her death was at
hand.
The same person foretold the death of a child in
his master's arms by seeing a spark of fire fall on
his left arm, and this was likewise accomplished soon
after the prediction.
Some of the inhabitants of Harris, sailing round the
Isle of Skye with a design to go to the opposite mainland, were strangely surprised with an apparition of
two men hanging down by the ropes that secured the
mast, but could not conjecture what it meant; they
pursued their voyage, but the wind turning contrary
they were forced into Broadford, in the Isle of Skye,
where they found Sir Donald Macdonald keeping a
sheriff's court, and two criminals receiving sentence
of death there. The ropes and mast of that very
boat were made use of to hang those criminals. This
was told the author by several who had this instance
related to them by the boat's crew.
Several persons living in a certain family told the
author that they had frequently seen two men standing at a gentlewoman's left hand, who was their
master's daughter; they told the men's names, and
[157]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


being her equals, it was not doubted but she would
be married to one of them, and perhaps to the other
after the death of the first. Some time after a third
man appeared, who seemed always to stand nearest
to her of the three, but the seers did not know him,
though they could describe him exactly; and within
some months after, this man, who was seen last,
actually came to the house, and fully answered the
description given of him by those who never saw him
but in a vision, and he married the woman shortly
after. They live in the Isle of Skye, and both themselves and others confirmed the truth of this instance
when the author saw them.
Archibald Macdonald, of the parish of St. Mary's,
in the Isle of Skye, being reputed famous in his skill
of foretelling things to come by the second-sight,
happening to be in the village Knockow, one night,
and before supper told the family that he had just
then seen the strangest thing he ever saw in his life,
viz., a man with an ugly long cap always shaking
his head, but that the strangest of all was a little
kind of a harp which he had with four strings only,
and that it had two hart's horns fixed in the front
of it. All that heard this odd vision fell a-laughing
at Archibald, telling him that he was dreaming, or
had not his wits about him, since he pretended to
see a thing which had no being, and was not so much
as heard of in any part of the world. All this could
not alter Archibald's opinion, who told them that
they must excuse him if he laughed at them after
the accomplishment of the vision. Archibald returned to his own house, and within three or four
[ 158 ]




A GRUESOME APPARITION


days after a man with a cap, harp, &c., came to the
house, and the harp, strings, horns, and cap answered
the description of them at first view, and he shook
his head when he played, for he had two bells fixed
to his cap. This harper was a poor man, who made
himself a buffoon for his bread, and was never seen
before in those parts, and at the time of the prediction he was in the Isle of Barray, which is about
twenty leagues distant from that part of Skye.
This relation is vouched by Mr. Daniel Martin, and
all his family, and such as were then present, and
they live in the village where this happened.
One Daniel Nicholson, minister of St. Mary's, in
Skye, the parish in which Mr. Archibald Macdonald
lived, told the author that one Sunday, after sermon,
at the Chapel Uig, he took an occasion to inquire of
Archibald if he still retained that unhappy faculty
of seeing the second-sight, and wished him to get
rid of it, if possible; for, said he, it's no true character of a good man. Archibald was highly displeased, and answered that he hoped he was no more
unhappy than his neighbours, for seeing what they
could not perceive. "I had," said he, "as serious
thoughts as my neighbours in time of hearing a
sermon to-day, and even then I saw a corpse laid on
the ground close to the pulpit; and I assure you it
will be accomplished shortly, for it was in the daytime." There were none in the parish then sick,
and few are buried at that little chapel, nay, sometimes, not one in a year. Yet when Mr. Nicholson
returned to preach in the said chapel, a fortnight or
three weeks after, he found one buried in the very
[159]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


spot named by Archibald. This story is vouched
by Mr. Nicholson, the minister, and several of the
parishioners still living.
Note, that it's counted by many an argument of
somewhat evil attending this faculty of the secondsight, because there are instances given of some
persons who have been freed of it, upon using some
Christian practices. But I shall hereafter show that
this opinion cannot be entirely true.
Sir Norman Macleod, who has his residence in the
Isle of Bernera, which lies between the Isles of N.
Uist and Harris, went to the Isle of Skye about
business, without appointing any time for his return;
his servants, in his absence, being all together in the
large hall at night, one of them, who had the secondsight, told the rest they must remove, for there
would be abundance of company in the hall that
night. One of his fellow servants answered, that
there was very little likelihood of that, because of
the darkness of the night, and the danger of coming
through the rocks that lay round the isle; but
within an hour after one of Sir Norman's men came
to the house, bidding them provide lights, &c., for
his master had newly landed.
Sir Norman being told of this, called for the seer
and examined him about it. He answered, that he
had seen the spirit Brownie, in human shape, come
several times and make a show of carrying an old
woman, that sat by the fire, to the door, and at last
seemed to carry her out by neck and heels; which
made him laugh heartily, and gave occasion to the
rest to conclude him mad, to laugh so much without
[160]




INVISIBLE SINGERS


any reason. This instance was told the author by
Sir Norman himself.
Four men, from the Isle of Skye and Harris, went
to Barbadoes, and stayed there some years; who,
though they had wont to see the second-sight in
their native country, never saw it in Barbadoes, but
upon their return to England, the first night after
their landing they saw the second-sight, as the author
was told by several of their acquaintance.
John Morrison, who lives in Bernera of Harris,
wears the plant called fuga dcemonum sewed in the
neck of his coat, to prevent his seeing visions, and
says he never saw any since he first carried that plant
about him.
A spirit, by the country people called Brownie,
was frequently seen in all the most considerable
families in the isles and north of Scotland, in the
shape of a tall man, having very long brown hair.
But within these twenty years past he has been seen
but rarely.
There were spirits also that appeared in the shape
of women, horses, swine, cats, and some like fiery
balls, which would follow men in the fields; but there
have been but few instances of these for upwards of
forty years past.
These spirits used also to form sounds in the air,
resembling those of a harp, pipes, crowing of a cock
and of the grinding of hand-mills. And sometimes
voices have been heard in the air at night, singing
Irish songs, the words of which songs some of the
author's acquaintances still retain; one of them
resembled the voice of a woman, who died some time
11              [ 161 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


before, and the song related to her state in the other
world. All these accounts, the author says, he had
from persons of as great integrity as any in the
world.
So far Mr. Martin, whose account is so long that
I have given the reader only a short abridgment
thereof; and shall therefore satisfy myself, without
relating any further passages, by directing the reader
to others also, learned men, who have written on the
same subject. Laurentius Ananias printed a volume
in Latin, at Venice, anno 1571, about the nature of
Demons, where, in the third book, he writes concerning the second-sight. The learned Camerarius does
the like, and names a person of his own acquaintance,
whom he testifies to have had that gift. St. Austin
himself testifies something (not very different from
what we now call the gift of the second-sight) of
one Curina, who lived in the country of Hippo in
Africa. Bonaysteau tells us something like it in his
" Disc. de Excell. et Dig. Hominis," concerning the
spirit of Hermotimus. So do likewise Herodotus
and Maximus Tyrius about the spirit of Aristseus.
Cardan does the same in his "De rerum variet.,"
1. 8, c. 84, of his kinsman Baptista Cardan, a student
at Pavia. Baptista Fulgosus tells us of what we call
the second-sight, in other words, in his 1. 1, " Fact.
et diet. memorab.," c. 6. Among our own countrymen, the Lord Henry Howard, in the book he wrote
against the supposed prophecies, in his seventeenth
chapter, tells us a wonderful story of this kind of
sight; and sure that noble lord may be looked upon
as an unexceptionable testimony in a story he relates
[162]




CHARLES I. OF ENGLAND


of his own knowledge, he having otherwise little
faith in things of this kind. Mr. Cotton Mather,
a minister of New England, in his relation of the
wonders of the invisible world, inserted in his " Ecclesiastical History" of that country, printed in
London, anno 1702, in folio, has given us several
instances of this kind, as also of many other diabolical operations. Mr. Baxter's book concerning
the "Certainty of the World of Spirits," has the
like proofs in it. Mr. Aubrey, Fellow of the Royal
Society, has written largely concerning secondsighted persons; so has Mr. Beaumont, in his book
of genii and familiar spirits, who has collected almost
all the other accounts together, and many others
whose very names it would be tedious to recite.
However, as there are a few more passages very
curious in themselves, I will venture so far upon the
reader's patience as not only to recite the names of
the authors, but the accounts themselves, in as succinct and brief a manner as it is possible for any one
to do.
Mr. Th. May, in his History, lib. 8, writes, that an
old man (like an hermit) second-sighted, took his
leave of King James I. when he came into England.
He took little notice of Prince Henry, but addressing himself to the Duke of York (since King Charles
I.), fell a-weeping to think what misfortunes he
should undergo, and that he should be one of the
most miserable and most unhappy princes that ever
was.
A Scotch nobleman sent for one of these secondsighted men out of the Highlands, to give his judg[ 163 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


ment of the then great George Villiers, Duke of
Buckingham. As soon as ever he saw him, "Pish,"
said he, " he will come to nothing, I see a dagger in
his breast;" and he was stabbed in the breast by
Captain Felton, as has been at large recounted
in some of the foregoing pages.
Sir James Melvil hath several the like passages in
his History.
A certain old man, in South Wales, told a great
man there, of the fortune of his family, and that
there should not be a third male generation. It
has fallen out accordingly.
Sir William Dugdale, with his own mouth, informed several gentlemen, that Major-General Middleton (since lord) went into the Highlands of
Scotland, to endeavour to make a party for King
Charles I. An old gentleman (that was secondsighted) came and told him that his endeavour was
good, but he would be unsuccessful; and moreover,
that they would put the king to death, and that
several other attempts would be made, but all in
vain; but that his son would come in, but not reign
a long time, but would at last be restored. This
Lord Middleton had a great friendship with the
Laird Bocconi, and they made an agreement, that
the first of them that died should appear to the
other in extremity. The Lord Middleton was taken
prisoner at Worcester fight, and was prisoner in the
Tower of London, under three locks. Lying in his
bed, pensive, Bocconi appeared to him; my Lord
Middleton asked him if he were dead or alive? He
said, dead, and that he was a ghost; and told him
[164]




CONSENSUS OF SCHOLARS


that within three days he should escape, and he did
so, in his wife's clothes. When he had done his message he gave a frisk, and said -
"Givanni, Givanni, 't is very strange
In the world to see so sudden a change.
And then gathered up and vanished. This account
Sir William Dugdale had from the Bishop of Edinburgh. And this account he hath written in a book
of Miscellanies, which is now deposited (with other
books of his) in the Museum at Oxford.
Thus the reader sees what great authorities may
be produced to prove that wonderful and true predictions have been delivered by many persons gifted
with the second-sight. The most learned men in
almost all nations, who are not in all likelihood
deceived themselves; the most celebrated and authentic historians, and some divines, in England,
who, it is not to be thought, have combined together
and made it their business to obtrude upon us falsehoods; persons of all ranks, from the highest to the
lowest, in Scotland, who it would be even madness
to think, would join in a confederacy to impose
tricks upon us, and to persuade us to the greatest of
impostures as solemn truths delivered from their own
mouths; all these, I say, have unanimously and (as
it were) with one voice asserted, repeated, and confirmed to us, that there have been at all times, and in
many different nations, and that still there are persons who, possessed with the gift of a second-sight,
predict things that wonderfully come to pass; and
seem to merit very little less than the name of
[165 J




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


prophets, for their miraculous discoveries. Now if
any man should come, and without giving the least
manner of reason for it (for there is no reason to be
given against such assertions) declare his disbelief
of all these authentic, though strange accounts; can
he with reason imagine that his incredulity shall
pass for a token of wisdom? Shall his obstinacy
confute the learned? Shall his 'want of faith be
thought justly to give the lie to so many persons
of the highest honour and quality, and of the most
undoubted integrity? In fine, shall his infidelity,
by a reverse kind of power to that which is attributed
to the philosopher's stone, be able to change the
nature of things, turn and transmute truth into
falsehood, and make a downright plain matter of
fact to be no more than a chimera or an ens rationis P
And shall a manifest experience be so easily exploded?
Taking it therefore for granted that no modest
man whatsoever, though never so hard of belief,
which is certainly as great a weakness as that of too
much credulity, will make bold openly to declare his
disbelief of things so well attested; and taking it
much more for granted still, that it is impossible for
any man of common sense to have the front of declaring his disbelief of them in such a manner as to urge
it for an argument and a reason why others should disbelieve them too; taking this, I say, as I think I
very well may, for granted, I think there remains
nothing further for me to offer, before I conclude
this chapter, except a few remarks as to the similitude
there is between those actions, which I have related
above to have been performed by Mr. Campbell, and
[ 166 ]


a




A GAMBLING BROWNIE


these actions, which so many learned, ingenious, and
noble authors, as I have just now quoted, have
asserted to have been performed by persons whom
they knew to be gifted with the second-sight.
As to what is said (several pages above) concerning
Duncan Campbell, when a boy at Edinburgh, that
he even told his little companions who would have
success at their little matches when they played at
marbles; and that he informed a great gamester
there, whose name I have disguised under that of
Count Cog, what times he should choose to play if
he would win; as ludicrous as it may have appeared
to be, and as much as it may have seemed to my
readers to carry with it nothing better than the face
of invention and the air of fiction, yet if they will be
at the pains of comparing that passage of Duncan
Campbell's with the account given in this chapter
from the mouth of Sir Norman Macleod, concerning
a man who, though he never played at tables in his
life, instructed a skilful gamester, when he was at a
stand, to place one of his men right, upon which the
whole game depended, which the ignorant fellow,
when asked how he came to do it, said he was
directed to by the spirit Brownie; whoever, I say,
will be at the pains of comparing these passages together, will find they bear a very near resemblance,
and that the way we may most reasonably account
for Duncan Campbell's prediction, when he was a
boy, must be that he was at that time directed by
his little genius or familiar spirit, which I described
in the precedent pages, as this fellow was by the
spirit Brownie, according to Sir Norman Macleod's
[ 167]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


assertion, which spirit Brownie, as Mr. Martin, a
very good and credited writer, assures us in his
" History of the Western Islands," dedicated to the
late Prince George of Denmark, is a spirit usually
seen all over that country.
If the reader recollects, he will remember likewise
that in the little discourse which I mentioned to
have been held between me and this Duncan Campbell when a boy concerning his little genius, I there
say the boy signified to me, that he smelt venison,
and was sure that some would come to his mother's
house shortly after; accordingly I came thither that
morning from the death of a deer, and ordered a
part of it to be brought after me to her house. Now
Mr. Martin's twelfth observation about the secondsight in this chapter clears it plainly up that this
knowledge in the boy proceeded from the gift of
second-sight. Not to give the reader too often the
trouble of looking back in order to judge of the
truth of what I say, I will here repeat that observation, which is as follows: things are also foretold
by smelling sometimes; for example, fish or flesh is
frequently smelt in the fire, when at the same time
neither of the two are in the house or in any probability like to be had in it for some weeks or months.
This smell several persons have who are endued with
the second-sight, and it is always accomplished soon
after.
But I will here omit any further remarks by way
of accounting how he compassed his predictions
when a boy, either by the intervention of his genius
or the gift of a second-sight; and examine how
[168]




A PROBLEM SOLVED


nearly those things which I have related have been
done by him in his more advanced years, when he
took up the profession of a predictor in London,
correspond with the accounts given in this chapter
about a second-sight, and how near a resemblance the
things done by him bear to those things that are so well
attested to have been performed by others, through
the efficacious power of this wonderful faculty.
First, then, if we have a mind to make a tolerable
guess which way Mr. Campbell came acquainted that
the death of the beautiful young lady, Mrs. W[e]lw[oo]d, was so near at hand, and that, though she
was so universally admired, she would die unmarried;
the accounts given of other second-sighted persons
in the like cases, will put us in the most probable
way of guessing right. This is explained by the
seventh observation in this chapter, where it is said
from Mr. Martin that when a shroud is perceived
about one, it is a sure prognostic of death; the time
is judged according to the height of it about the
person, for if it be not seen above the middle, death
is not to be expected for the space of a year or
longer, but as it comes nearer to the head it is expected sooner; if to the very head, it is concluded
to be at hand within a few days, if not hours. Of
this we have an example, of which Mr. Martin was
an eye-witness, concerning the death of his own
acquaintance; but he did not in the least regard it
till the death of the person, about the time foretold,
confirmed to him the certainty of the prediction.
Secondly, as to the ignominious death that Irwin
came to, and which he predicted to his mother so
[169]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


long before when she was in flourishing circumstances,
and when there was no appearance that any of her
children should be brought to a beggarly condition,
and learn among base gangs of company to thieve
and be carried to the gallows. The story told in this
chapter of some of the inhabitants of Harris sailing
round the Isle of Skye, and seeing the apparition of
two men hanging by the ropes on the mast of their
vessel, and when they came to the opposite mainland
finding two criminals just sentenced to death by Sir
Donald Macdonald, and seeing their own very masts
and ropes made choice of for their execution, clears
up the manner how Mr. Campbell might predict this
of Irwin likewise by the force of the second-sight.
Thirdly, as to Mr. Campbell's telling Christallina,
the belle and chief toast of the court, and Urbana,
the reigning beauty of the city, that they should
shortly be married, and who were to be their husbands; it is a thing he has done almost every day
in his life to one woman or other that comes to consult him about the man she is to be married to; the
manner he probably takes in doing this, may be likewise explained by the foregoing story in this chapter
about the servants who said they saw three men
standing by the left hand of their master's daughter,
and that he that was nearest would marry her first,
whom they plainly and exactly described, though
they had never seen him but in their vision, as appeared afterwards. For within some months after
the very man described did come to the house and
did marry her. Vide the eighth observation of the
second-sight.
[ 170]




PREDICTIONS EXPLAINED


Fourthly, as to the predictions delivered by Mr.
Campbell to the merchant, which are set down at
length in the foregoing chapter, I know no better
way at guessing the manner how the second-sight
operated in him at that time, than by comparing
them to these two instances, which I briefly repeat,
because they are set down at length before in this
chapter. And first it may be asked how did the
second-sight operate in Mr. Campbell when it gave
him to know that the merchant's ships, which repeated
intelligences had in appearance confirmed to be lost,
were at that time safe, and would return securely
home into the harbour designed? The best way of
accounting for it that I know, is by the story that
Sir Norman Macleod is above affirmed to have told
with his own mouth concerning a servant of his who
rightly foretold his returning home and landing on
the isle of Bernera one night, where his residence
was, when there was very little or no likelihood of it,
because of the darkness of the night and the danger
of coming through the rocks that lie round the isle.
When Sir Norman examined him about it, he answered that he knew it by a vision of the spirit
Brownie; and hence it may be the most probably
conjectured that Mr. Campbell's knowledge of the
merchant's ships being safe, came from. a vision of his
particular genius or familiar spirit, which we spoke
of before. What I have already instanced in, is, I
think, sufficient with regard to the wonderful things
which Mr. Campbell has performed, either by the
intervention of a genius or the power of a secondsight. But as he has frequently done a great many
[ 171 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


amazing performances, which seem to be of such a
nature that they can't be well and clearly explained
to have been done either by the intervention of his
familiar spirit and genius, or by the power of the
second-sighted faculty, we must have recourse to the
third means, by which only such predictions and
practices can be compassed, before we expound these
new mysteries, which appear like incredible riddles
and enigmas at the first; and this third means which
we must have recourse to for expounding these
strange acts of his, is a due consideration of the
force and power of natural magic, which, together
with a narrative of the acts which he seems magically to bring about, will be the subject of the following chapter.


[172




CHAPTER EIGHT


A DISSERTATION UPON MAGIC.
BUT before we proceed to our disquisitions
concerning the power and efficacy of natural magic, and examine what mysterious
operations may be brought about and compassed by magical practices, and before we take a
further survey of what Mr. Campbell has performed
in this kind, that relates to his profession and the
public part of his life, which concerns other people
as well as himself, I shall here relate some singular
adventures that he passed through in his private life,
and which regard only his own person. In order to
this, I must return back to the year 1702, about
which time some unaccountable turns of fortune attended him in his own private capacity, which must
be very surprising and entertaining to my readers,
when they find a man, whose foresight was always so
great a help and assistance to others who consulted
him in their own future affairs, helpless (as it has
been an observation concerning all such men in the
account of the second-sight), and blind in his own
future affairs, tossed up and down by inevitable and
spiteful accidents of fortune, and made the May-game
of chance and hazard; as if that wayward and inconstant goddess was resolved to punish him, when she
[ 173 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


catched him on the blind side, for having such a quick
insight and penetrating faculty in other people's matters, and scrutinising too narrowly into her mysteries,
and so sometimes preventing those fatal intentions
of hers, into which she would fain lead many mortals
hoodwinked, and before they knew where they were.
In this light, these mighty and famous seers seem to
be born for the benefit and felicity of others, but at
the same time to be born to unhappiness themselves.
And certainly, inasmuch as we consider them as useful
and beneficial, often, but always satisfactory, to persons who are curious in their inquiries about their
fortunes, it will be natural to those of us, who have
the least share of generosity in our minds, to yield
our pity and compassion to them, when they are
remarkably unfortunate themselves, especially when
that calamity seems more particularly to light upon
them for their ability and endeavour to consult the
good fortune of other folks.
About the above-mentioned year 1702, Duncan
Campbell grew a little tired of his profession. Such
a multitude of followers troubled him, several of
whom were wild youths and came to banter him, and
many more too inquisitive females, to tease him with
endless impertinences, and who, the more he told
them, had still the more to ask, and whose curiosity
was never to be satisfied; and besides this he was so
much envied, and had so many malicious artifices
daily practised against him, that he resolved to leave
off his profession. He had, I know, followed it
pretty closely, from the time I first saw him in London, which was, I think, in the beginning of the
[ 174 ]




PERPLEXITIES


year 1698, till the year 1702, with very good success;
and in those few years, he had got together a pretty
round sum of money. Our young seer was now at
man's estate, and had learned the notion that he was
to be his own governor, so far as to be his own counsellor too in what road of life he was to take; and
this consideration, no doubt, worked with deeper
impression on his mind than it usually does on others
that are in the same blossoming pride of manhood,
because it might appear more natural for him to believe that he had a sufficient ability to be his own
proper adviser, who had given so many others, and
some more aged than himself, counsel with very good
success. Now every experienced person knows that
when manhood is yet green it is still in the same
dangerous condition as a young plant, which is liable
to be warped by a thousand cross fortuitous accidents
if good measures be not taken to support it against
all the contingent shocks it may meet with from the
weather or otherwise. Now, it was his misfortune to
be made averse to business which he loved before by
having too much of it, and to be so soured by meeting with numerous perplexities and malicious rubs
laid in his way by invidious people (who are the useless and injurious busybodies, that always repine at
the good of others, and rejoice to do harm to the
diligent and assiduous, tLrough they reap no profit
by it themselves), that he vas disgusted and deterred
entirely from the prosecution of a profession, by
which he got not only a competent but a copious and
plentiful subsistence. Nay, indeed, this was another
mischief arising to him from his having so much
[ 175 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


business that he had got money enough to leave it
off, when the perplexities of it had made him willing
to do so, and to live very comfortably and handsomely like a gentleman without it for a time; and
we know the youngest men are not wont to look the
furthest before them in matters that concern their
own welfare. Now, inasmuch as he had thus taken
a disgust to business and application, and was surfeited (as I may say) with the perplexities of it, it
must be as natural for him, we know, to search for
repose in the contrary extreme, viz., recreation and
idleness, as it is for a man to seek rest after toil, to
sleep after a day's labour, or to sit down after a long
and tiresome walk.
But there are two very distinct sorts of idleness,
and two very different kinds of recreations; there is
a shameful idleness which is no better than downright sloth; and there is a splendid kind of indolence
where a man, having taken an aversion to the wearisomeness of a business which properly belongs to him,
neglects not, however, to employ his thoughts, when
they are vacant from what they ought more chiefly
to be about, in other matters not entirely unprofitable in life, the exercise of which he finds he can
follow with more abundant ease and satisfaction.
There are some sorts of recreations too that are mean,
sordid and base; others that are very innocent,
though very diverting, and that will give one the
very next most valuable qualifications of a gentleman
after those which are obtained by a more serious
application of the mind.
The idea which I have already given my readers of
[ 176 ]




DOOM OF THE IDLER


our Duncan Campbell will easily make them judge
before I tell them, which way, in these two ways, his
genius would naturally lead him; and that when he
grew an idle man he would rather indulge himself
with applying his mind to the shining trifles of life
than be wholly slothful and inactive; and that when
he diverted himself he would not do it after a sordid
base manner, as having a better taste and a relish for
good company, but that his recreations would still be
the recreations of a gentleman. And just accordingly
as my readers would naturally judge beforehand in his
case, so it really happened. The moment he shook off
business, and dismissed the thoughts of it, his genius
led him to a very gallant way of life; in his lodgings,
in his entertainments, in paying and receiving visits,
in coffee-houses, in taverns, in fencing-schools, in balls,
and other public assemblies, in all ways, in fine, both
at home and abroad, Duncan Campbell was a wellcomported and civil gentleman; he was a man of
pleasure, and nothing of the man of business appeared about him. But a gentleman's life without
a gentleman's estate, however shining and pleasant it
may be for a time, will certainly end in sorrow, if not
in infamy; and, comparing life, as moralists do, to a
day, one may safely pronounce this truth to all the
splendid idlers I have mentioned, that if they have
sunshiny weather till noon, yet the afternoon of their
life will be very stormy, rainy, and uncomfortable; and
perhaps just at the end of their journey, to carry on
the metaphor throughout, close in the darkest kind
of night. Of this, as I was a man of years, and more
experienced in the world than he, I took upon me to
12              [177 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


forewarn Mr. Campbell, as soon as I perceived the
first dangerous fit of this elegant idleness had seized
him. But when will young men, by so much the
more headstrong as they have less of the beard, be
guided and brought to learn, and when shall we see
that happy age, in which the grey heads of old men
shall be clapped upon the shoulders of youth? I told
him, that in this one thing he ought to consult me,
and acknowledge me to be a true prophet, if I told
him the end of the seeming merry steps in life he was
now taking would infallibly bring him to a labyrinth of
difficulties, out of which, if he extricated himself at all,
he would at least find it a laborious piece of work.
His taste had been already vitiated with the sweets
which lay at the top of the bitter draught of fortune,
and my honest rugged counsel came too late to prevail, when his fancy had decoyed and debauched his
judgment, and carried it over into another interest.
I remember I writ down to him the moral story, where
vicious pleasure and virtue are pictured by the philosopher to appear before Hercules, to court him into
two several paths. I told him more particularly,
since he had not an estate to go through with the
gentlemanly life, as he called it, that if he followed
the alluring pleasures, which endeavoured to tempt
Hercules, he would involve himself at last in a whole
heap of miseries, out of which it would be more than
an Herculean labour for him to disentangle himself
again. If he had been a man that could have ever
heard with either, I would have told the reader, in a
very familiar idiom, that he turned the deaf ear to
me; for he did not mind one syllable nor tittle of
[ 178]




A DOWNRIGHT FOOL


the prescriptions I had set down for him, no more
than if he had never read them; but varying the
phrase a little, I may say at least, when he should
have looked upon my counsel with all the eyes he
had, he turned the blind side upon it. I was resolved
to make use of the revenge natural to a man of years,
and therefore applied that reproachful proverb to
him, which we ancients delight much in making use
of to youths that follow their own false and hot imaginations, and will not heed the cooler dictates of age,
experience, and wisdom. Accordingly I wrote down
to him these words, and left him in a seeming passion -"I am very well assured, young man, you
think me that am old to be a fool; but I, that am
old, absolutely know you who are a young fellow, to
be a downright fool; and so I leave you to follow
your own ways, till sad and woeful experience teaches
you to know it your own self, and makes you come
to me to own it of your own accord."
As I was going away after this tart admonition
and severe reprimand, I had a mind to observe his
countenance, and I saw him smile, which I rightly
construed to be done in contempt of the advice of
age, and in the gaiety and fulness of conceit which
youth entertains of its own fond opinions and hairbrained rash resolves. He was got into the company
of a very pretty set of gentlemen, whose fortunes
were superior to his; but he followed the same genteel exercises, as fencing, &c., and made one at all
their public entertainments; and so being at an
equal expense with those who could well afford
to spend what they did out of their estates, he went
[ 179]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


on very pleasantly for a time, still spending and
never getting, without ever considering that it must,
by inevitable consequence, fall to his lot at last to
be entirely reduced to a state of indigence and
want. And what commonly heightens the misfortune of such men (and so of all gentlemen's younger
brothers), who live upon the ready money that is
given them for their portions, is, that the prosperity
they live in for a time gains them credit enough
just to bring them in debt, and render them more
miserable than those very wretches who never had
either any money or credit at all. They run themselves into debt out of shame, and to put off the
evil day of appearing ruined men as long as they
can, and then, when their tempers are soured by
adversity, they grow tired of their own lives, and
then, in a quarrel, they or some other gentleman,
perhaps, is run through, or else, being hunted by
bailiffs, they exercise their swords upon those pursuers.  Thus, where gentlemen will not consider
their circumstances, their very prosperity is a cause
of and aggravates their misery; their very pride
(which was a decent pride at first), in keeping up
and maintaining their credit, subjects them too
often to the lowest and the meanest acts, and their
courage, which was of a laudable kind, turns into a
brutish and savage rage; and all the fine, esteemed,
flourishing, and happy gentleman ends and is lost in
the contemned poor and miserable desperado, whose
portion at last is confinement and a gaol, and sometimes even worse, and what I shall not so much as
name here.
[180]




DUNCAN AT BAY


Into many of these calamities Mr. Campbell had
brought himself, before it was long, by his heedlessness, and running, according to the wild dictates of
youth, counter to all sound and wholesome advice.
He had, it seems, run himself into debt, and one
day, as he was at a coffee-house, the sign of the
Three Crowns, in Great Queen Street, in rushed
four bailiffs upon him, who, being directed by the
creditor's wife, had watched him into that house,
and told him they had a warrant against him, and
upon his not answering, they being unacquainted
with his being deaf and dumb, offered to seize his
sword. He started at their offering of violence, and
taking them for ruffians (which he had often met
with), repelled his assaulters, and drawing his sword,
as one man more bold than the rest closed in with
him, he shortened his blade, and in the fall, pinned
the fellow through the shoulder, and himself through
the leg, to the floor. After that he stood at bay
with all the four officers, when the most mischievous
assailant of them all, the creditor's wife, ventured to
step into the fray, and very barbarously took hold
of that nameless part of the man, for which, as she
was a married woman, nature methinks should have
taught her to have a greater tenderness, and almost
squeezed and crushed those vitals to death. But at
last he got free from them all, and was going away
as fast as he could, not knowing what consequences
might ensue. But the woman, who aimed herself at
committing murder in the most savage and inhuman
manner, ran out after him, crying out "Murder!
murder! " as loud as she could, and alarmed the
[ 181 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


whole street. The bailiffs following the woman,
and being bloody from head to foot, by means of
the wound he received, gave credit to the outcry.
The late Earl Rivers's footmen happening to be at
the door, ran immediately to stop the supposed
murderer, and they indeed did take him at last, but
perceived their mistake, and discovered that, instead
of being assistants in taking a man whom they
thought to be a murderer endeavouring to make his
escape from the hands of justice, they had only been
tricked in, by that false cry, to be adjutants to a
bailiff in retaking a gentleman, who by so gallant
a defence, had rescued himself from the dangers of
a prison; and when they had discovered this their
mistake, they were mighty sorry for what they had
done. The most active and busy among the earrs
footmen was a Dutchman, and the earl happening
to be in a room next the streets and hearing the
outcry of murder, stepped to the window, and seeing
his own servants in the midst of a bustle, examined
the Dutchman how the matter stood, and being told
it, chid the man for being concerned in stopping a
gentleman that was getting free from such troublesome companions.   But the Dutchman excused
himself like a Dutchman, by making a very merry
blunder for a reply. " Sacramente," said he, to his
lord, " if I had thought they were bailiffs, I would
have fought for the poor dumb gentleman, but then
why had not he told me they were bailiffs, my lord? "
In short, Duncan Campbell was carried off as their
prisoner; but the bailiff that was wounded was led
back to the coffee-house, where he pretended the
[ 182]




IMPRISONMENT


wound was mortal, and that he despaired of living an
hour. The proverb, however, was of the fellow's
side, and he recovered sooner than other people expected he could. As soon as all danger was over, an
action for damages and smart money, as their term
is, was brought against Mr. Campbell; the damages
were exaggerated, and the demand was so extravagant, that Duncan Campbell was neither able, just
at that time, nor willing, had he been able, to pay
so much, as he thought, in his own wrong; and
having no bail, and being ashamed to make his
case known to his better sort of friends, who were
both able and willing to help him at a dead lift, he
was hurried away to gaol by the bailiffs, who showed
such a malignant and insolent pleasure as commonly
attends powerful revenge, when they put him into
the Marshalsea. There he lay in confinement six
weeks, till at last four or five of his chief friends
came by mere chance to hear of it: immediately
they consulted about his deliverance, and unanimously
resolved to contribute for his enlargement, and they
accordingly went across the water together, and
procured it out of hand.
Two of his benefactors were officers, and were just
then going over to Flanders. Duncan Campbell, to
whom they communicated their design, was resolved
to try his fortune in a military way, out of a roving
kind of humour, raised in him partly by his having
taken a sort of aversion to his own profession in
town, and partly by his finding that he could not
live, without following a profession as he had done,
any longer. He, over a bottle, frankly imparted his
- [183]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


mind to them at large; he signified to them that
he hoped, since they had lately done him so great a
favour in freeing him from one captivity, they would
not think him too urgent, if he pressed for one favour
further, upon natures so generous as theirs, by whom
he took as great a pleasure in being obliged, as he
could receive, in being capable of obliging others.
He wrote to them that the favour he meant was to
redeem him from another captivity, almost as irksome to him as that out of which they had lately
ransomed him. " This captivity," continued he, "c is,
being either forced to follow my old profession,
which I have taken an entire disgust to, for a maintenance, or being forced to live in a narrower way
than suits with my genius, and the better taste I
have of higher life. Such a state, gentlemen, you
know, is more unpalatable than half-pay; it is like,
either being forced to go upon the forlorn hope, or
else, like a man's being an entirely cashiered and
broken officer, that had no younger brother's fortune,
and no other support but his commission. Thus,
though you have set my body at liberty, my soul is
still under an imprisonment, and will be till I leave
England, and can find means of visiting Flanders,
which I can do no otherwise than by the advantage
of having you for my convoy. I have a mighty
longing to experience some part of a military life,
and I fancy, if you will grant me your interest, and
introduce me to the valiant young Lorne, and be
spokesman for a dumb man, I shall meet with a
favourable reception; and as for you, gentlemen,
after having named that great patron and pattern
[ 184 ]




IN ROTTERDAM


of courage and conduct in the field, I cannot doubt
but the very name I bear, if you had not known me,
would have made you take me for a person of a
military genius, and that I should do nothing but
what would become a British soldier and a gentleman; nothing, in fine, that should make you repent
the recommendation."
These generous and gallant friends of his, it seems,
complied with his request, and promised they would
make application for him to the Lord Lorne, and
Duncan Campbell had nothing to do but to get his
bag and baggage ready and provide himself with a
pass. His baggage was not very long a getting together, and he had it in tolerable good order, and
as for his pass, a brother of the Lord Forbes was
so kind as to procure him one, upon the first application Duncan made to him.
Accordingly, in a few days afterwards they went
on board, and having a speedy and easy passage,
arrived soon at Rotterdam. Duncan met with some
of his English acquaintance in that town, and his
mind being pretty much bent upon rambling, and
seeing all the curiosities, customs, and humours he
could in all the foreign places he was to pass through,
he went, out of a frolic, with some gentlemen next
day, in a boat, to an adjacent village, to make
merry over a homely Dutch entertainment, the intended repast being to consist of what the boors
there count a great delicacy, brown bread and white
beer. He walked out of sight from his company,
and they lost one another; and strolling about by
himself at an unseasonable hour, as they call it
[ 185]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


there, after the bell has tolled, Duncan Campbell,
who neither knew their laws, nor, if he had, was
capable of being guided by the notice which their
laws ordain, was taken into custody in the village
for that night, and carried away the next day to
Willemstad, where he was taken for a spy, and
put into a close imprisonment for three or four
days.
But some Scotch gentlemen, who had been in company with Mr. Campbell at Mr. Cloysterman's, a
painter in Covent Garden, made their application to
the magistrate and got him released. He knew his
friends, the officers that carried him over, were gone
forward to the camp, and that there was no hope of
finding them at Rotterdam, if he should go thither;
and so he resolved, since he had had so many days'
punishment in Willemstad, to have three or four
days' pleasure there too, by way of amends, before
he would set out on his journey after his friends.
But on the third night he got very much in drink;
and as he went very boisterously and disorderly
along, a sentry challenged him, and the want of the
sense of hearing had like to have occasioned the loss
of his life. The sentry fired at him and narrowly
missed him; he was taken prisoner, not without
some resistance, which was so far innocent as that
he knew not any reason why he should be seized,
but very troublesome and unwarrantable in so orderly
a town; so the governor's secretary, after the matter
was examined into, judging it better for the unhappy gentleman's future safety, advised him to
return home to his own country, and accordingly
[186]




CAPTURE AT SEA


bespoke him a place in a Dutch ship called "Yowfrow
Catherine," for his passage to England.
Duncan Campbell had taken up this humour of
rambling, first of his own accord, and the troubles
which he had run himself into by it, we may reasonably suppose, had pretty well cured him of that
extravagant itch; and there is very little doubt to
be made, but that he rejoiced very heartily when he
was got on board the ship to return to England;
and that, in his new resolutions, he had reconciled
himself to the prosecution of his former profession,
and intended to set up for a predictor again as soon
as he could arrive at London. But now fortune had
not a mind to let him go off so: he had had his own
fancy for rambling, and now she was resolved to have
hers, and to give him his bellyful of caprice. Accordingly, when the Dutch ship called "Yowfrow
Catherine" was making the best of her road for
London, and each person in the vessel was making
merry, filled with the hopes of a quick and prosperous passage, a French privateer appeared in sight,
crowding all the sails she could, and bearing towards
them with all haste and diligence. The privateer
was double-manned, and carried thirty guns; the
Dutch vessel was defenceless in comparison; and the
people on board had scarce time to think, and to
deplore that they should be made a prey of, before
they actually were so, and had reason enough given
them for their sorrow. All the passengers, to a
single man, were stripped, and had French seamen's
jackets in exchange for their clothes. Duncan Campbell had now a taste given him of the fate of war, as
[187]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


well as of humour of travelling, and wished himself
again, I warrant him, among his greatest crowd of
consulters, as tiresome as he thought things to be,
instead of being in the middle of a crew of seasavages. The town where the dumb prisoner was at
last confined was Denain. There happened to be
some English friars there, who were told by the
others who he was, and to them he applied himself in writing, and received from them a great deal
of civil treatment. But a certain man of the Order
of Recollects, happening to see him there, who had
known him in England, and what profession he followed, caused him to be called to question as a man
that made use of ill means to tell fortunes. When
he was questioned by a whole society of these religious men, he made them such pertinent and satisfactory answers in writing, that he convinced them
he had done nothing for which he deserved their
reprimand; and they unanimously acquitted him.
The heads of his defence, as I have been informed,
were these:First, he alleged that the second-sight was inborn
and inbred in some men; and that every country had
had examples of it more or less; but that the country
of Scotland, in which he was educated from an infant,
abounded the most of any with those sort of people;
and from thence, he said, he thought he might very
naturally draw this conclusion, that a faculty that
was inborn and inbred to men, and grown almost a
national faculty among a people, who were remarkably honest, upright, and well-meaning people, could
not, without some impiety, be imputed to the
[ 188 ]




A COMMON ERROR


possessors of it as a sin; and when one of the fathers
rejoined, that it was remarked by several writers, of
the second-sight, that it must be therefore sinful, because it remained no longer among the people when
the doctrines of Christianity were fully propagated,
and the light of the gospel increased among them,
and that afterwards it affected none but persons of
vicious lives and an ill character, to this objection
Mr. Campbell replied, that he knew most, even
ingenious writers, had made that remark concerning
the second-sight, but begged leave to be excused if
he ventured to declare that it was no better than a
vulgar and common error; and the reasons were
these, which he alleged in his own behalf, and to
confirm his assertion, he told them that men of undoubted probity, virtue, and learning, both of their
own religion (viz., the Roman Catholic), and also of
the reformed religion, and in several nations, had
been affected, and continued all their lives to be affected with this second-sighted power, and that there
could be, therefore, no room to fix upon it the odious
character of being a sinful and vicious (not to say
that some called it still worse, a diabolical) talent.
He said he would content himself with making but
two instances, because he believed those two would
be enough to give content to them, his judges too, in
that case.
In his first instance he told them that they might
find somewhat relating to this in Nicholaus Hemingius, who, in his tracts " De Superstitionibus Magicis,"
printed at Copenhagen, anno 1575, informs the world
that Petrus Palladius, a bishop of Zealand and pro[189]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


fessor of divinity at Copenhagen, could, from a part
of his body affected, foretell from what part of the
heavens tempests would come, and was seldom deceived. One of the fathers immediately asked him
if he understood Latin? To this Duncan Campbell
replied no.  "Oh! said the friar then, "I do
not remember that book was ever translated into
English that you mention." "But," rejoined Duncan Campbell, "the passage I mentioned to you I
have read in an English book, and word for word,
according to the best of my memory, as I have written it down to you." "In what English book?"
said the friar. "I do not remember the name of the
book," Duncan Campbell answered,  but very well
remember the passages, and that it was in a book of
authority, and which bore a credit and good repute
in the world; and you, being scholars, may, if you
please, have recourse to the learned original, and I
doubt not but you will find what I say to be a truth."
For the second instance, he told them that in Spain
there are those called Saludadores that have this kind
of gift. " There was," continued he in writing, "one
of your own religion, venerable fathers, and of a religious order, nay, a friar too, that had this gift; he
was a noted Dominican," said he, "and though I
forget his name, you may, by writing a letter to
England, learn his name. He was a devout Portuguese, belonging to Queen Catherine Dowager's
Chapel, and had the second-sight to a great degree,
and was famous and eminent for it." They then asked
him what was the full power he had to do by the
second-sight. He answered, that as they had inti[ 190 ]




OCCULT KNOWLEDGE


mated that they had perused some of the skilful
writers concerning the second-sight, he did not doubt
but they found, as well as he could tell them, that
as to the extent of people's knowledge in that secret
way, it reached both present, past, and future events.
" They foresee murders, drownings, weddings, burials,
combats, manslaughters, &c., all of which there are
many instances to be given. They commonly foresee
sad events a little while before they happen; for instance, if a man's fatal end be hanging, they will see
a gibbet, or rope about his neck; if beheading, they
will see a man without a head; if drowning, they will
see water up to his throat; if stabbing, they will see
a dagger in his breast; if unexpected death in his bed,
they will see a winding-sheet about his head; they
foretell, not only marriages, but of good children,
what kind of life men shall lead, and in what condition they shall die, also riches, honours, preferments,
peace, plenty, and good weather. It is likewise
usual with persons that have lost anything to go
to some of these men, by whom they are directed,
how, with what persons, and in what place they shall
find their goods. It is also to be noted, that these
gifts bear a latitude, so that some have it in a far
more eminent degree than others; and what I have
here written down to you, you need not take as a
truth from me, but as it concerned me so nearly, I
remember the passage by heart, and you will find it
very near word for word in Dr. Beaumont's book of
Familiar Spirits." - " Ay," said the friars, " but you
have a genius too that attends you, as we are informed." -" So," replied Duncan Campbell, " have
[ 191]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


all persons that have the second-sight in any eminent
degree; and to prove this I will bring no less a witness than King James, who, in his ' Demonology,'
book the third and chapter the second, mentions also
a spirit called Brownie, that was wont formerly to
haunt divers houses, without doing any evil, but doing, as it were, necessary turns up and down the
house; he appeared like a rough man, nay, some
believed that their house was all the sonsier, as they
called it, that is, the more lucky or fortunate that
such spirits resorted there."
With these replies the friars began to own they
were very well satisfied, and acquiesced in the account he had given of himself, as a very good, true,
and honest account; but they told him they had
still a further accusation against him, and that was,
that he practised magic arts, and that he used, as
they had been informed, unlawful incantations. To
this he made answer that there were two kinds of
magic, of which he knew they, that were men of
learning, could not be ignorant. " The art magic,
which is wicked and impious," continued he, "is that
which is professed, and has been professed at all
times in the world, by witches, magicians, diviners,
enchanters, and such-like notorious profligates, who,
by having an unnatural commerce with the devil, do
many strange, prodigious, and preternatural acts
above and beyond all human wisdom; and all the
arguments I ever did or ever will deduce," continued
he, " from that black art, is a good and a shining
argument; it is this, 0 fathers, I draw a reason from
these prodigious practices of wizards, magicians,
[192]




THE MAGIC ART


enchanters, &c., and from all the heathen idolatry
and superstition, to prove that there is a deity; for,
fiom these acts of theirs being preternatural and
above human wisdom, we may consequently infer
that they proceed from a supernatural and immaterial cause, such as demons are. And this is all
the knowledge I ever did or ever will draw from that
black hellish art. But, fathers, there is another kind
of art magic, called natural magic, which is directly opposite to theirs, and the object of which art is to do
spiritual good to mankind, as the object of theirs is
to torment them and induce them to evil. They afflict
people with torments, and my art relieves them from
the torments they cause. The public profession of
these magical arts has (as you know, fathers, it is a
common distinction between black and white magic)
been tolerated in some of the most famous universities in Christendom, though afterwards, for a very
good reason in politics, making it a public study to
such a degree was very wisely retrenched by a prohibition.  If this, therefore, be a fault in your
own opinions, hear my accusers, but if not, you will
not only excuse but commend me."
The friars were extremely well pleased with his defence: but one of them had a mind to frighten him
a little if he could, and asked him what he would
say, if he could produce some witches, lately seized,
that would swear he had been frequently at their
unlawful assemblies, where they were making their
waxen images and other odd mischievous inventions
in black magic to torment folks: "What if I can
produce such evidence against you," wrote the father
13              [ 193 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


to him by way of strengthening the question; c" will
you not own that we have convicted you then?"
And when he had written the note, he gave it Duncan Campbell, with a look that seemed to express
his warmth and earnestness in the expostulation.
Duncan Campbell took the paper and read it, and
far from being startled, returned this answer, with a
smile continuing in his face while he wrote it.
"No," said he, "fathers, by your leave, they will
only prove me a good magician by that oath, and
themselves more plainly witches. They will prove
their love to torment good folks, and only show
their hatred to me, an innocent man, but wise
enough to torment them by hindering them from
tormenting others." The fathers were well pleased
with the shrewdness of the answer: but Duncan
Campbell had a mind to exert his genius a little
farther with the good friar, who thought likewise he
had put him a very shrewd question, so taking up
another sheet of paper: " Fathers," said he, " shall
I entertain you with a story of what passed, upon
this head, between two religious fathers (as you all
of you are) and a Prince of Germany, in which
you will find that mine ought to be reputed a full
answer to the question the last learned father
was pleased to propose me? The story is somewhat
long, but very much to the purpose, and entertaining: I remember it perfectly by heart, and if
you will have patience while I am writing it, I don't
doubt but that I shall not only satisfy you, but
please you and oblige you with the relation. The
author I found it in quotes it from Fromanus (I
[ 194 ]




A TALE OF WITCHCRAFT


think the man's name was so, and I am sure my
author calls him a very learned man), in his third
book of' Magical Incantation,' and, though I do not
understand the language the original is written in,
yet, I dare venture to say, upon the credit of my
English author, from whom I got the story by
heart, that you will find me right, whenever you
shall be pleased to search."
The friars were earnest for the story, and expressed
a desire that he would write it down for them to
read, which he did in the following words. - Note,
that I have since compared Mr. Duncan Campbell's
manuscript with the authors page, out of which he
took it, and find it word for word the same; which
shows how incomparable a memory this deaf and
dumb gentleman has got, besides his other extraordinary qualifications. - The story is this.
" A Prince of Germany invited two religious
fathers, of eminent virtue and learning, to a dinner.
The prince, at table, said to one of them: 'Father!
think you we do right in hanging persons, who are
accused by ten or twelve witches to have appeared
at their meetings or sabbaths? I somewhat fear we
are imposed on by the devil, and that it is not a safe
way to truth, that we walk in by these accusations;
especially, since many great and learned men everywhere begin to cry out against it, and to charge our
consciences with it; tell me therefore your opinion.'
To whom the fathers being somewhat of an eager
spirit, said, ' What should make us doubtful in this
case? or what should touch our consciences, being
convicted by so many testimonies? Can we make it
[195]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


a scruple, whether God will permit innocent persons
should be so traduced? There is no cause for a judge
to stick at such a number of accusations, but he may
proceed with safety.' To which, when the prince
had replied, and much had been said pro and con on
both sides about it, and the father seemed wholly
to carry the point, the prince at length concluded
the dispute, saying, 'I am sorry for you, father, that
in a capital cause you have condemned yourself, and
you cannot complain if I commit you to custody;
for no less than fifteen witches have deposed that
they have seen you -ay, start not: you, your own
self, at their meetings; and to show you that I am
not in jest, I will presently cause the public acts to
be brought for you to read them.' The father stood
in amaze, and with a dejected countenance had
nothing here to oppose but confusion and silence
for all his learned eloquence."
As soon as Mr. Campbell had written down the
story, the fathers perused it, and seemed mightily
entertained with it. It put an end to all further
questions, and the man, whom they had been trying
for a conjurer, they joined in desiring, upon distinct
pieces of paper, under their several hands, to come
frequently and visit them, as being not only a harmless and innocent but an extraordinary well-meaning,
good, and diverting companion. They treated him
for some time afterwards during his stay, with the
friendship due to a countryman, with the civility
that is owing to gentlemen, and with the assistance
and support which belonged to a person of merit in
distress. Money they had none themselves, it seems,
[196]




ON TRIAL BEFORE THE FRIARS


The fathers perused it, and seemed mightily entertained with it




, I - 91 'E0- `1 THEI UxIVE'F;"frypF;!:t ':




I




DUNCAN IN PORTSMOUTH


to give him, being mendicants by their own profession; but they had interest enough to get him quite
free from being prisoner; he participated of their
eleemosynary table, had a cell allowed him among
them in what they called their dormitory; he had an
odd coat and a pair of trousers made out of some of
their brown coarse habits, by the poor unfashionable
tailor or botcher belonging to the convent; and at
last they found means of recommending him to a
master of a French vessel, that was ready to set sail, to
give him a cast over the Channel to England, and
to provide him with the necessaries of life till he got
to the port. This French vessel was luckier than the
Dutch one had been before to our dumb gentleman;
it had a quick and prosperous passage, and arrived at
Portsmouth; and as soon as he had landed there, he
having experienced the misfortunes and casualties
that a man in his condition, wanting both speech and
hearing, was liable to, in places where he was an utter
stranger to everybody, resolved to make no stay, but
to move on as fast as he could towards London.
When he came to Hampton Town, considering the
indifferent figure he made in those odd kind of clothes
which the poor friars had equipped him with, and that
his long beard and uncombed wig added much to the
disguise, he was resolved to put on the best face he
could in those awkward circumstances, and stepped
into the first barber's shop he came at, to be trimmed
and get his wig combed and powdered.
This proved a very lucky thought to him; for, as
soon as he stepped into the first barber's shop, who
should prove to be the master of it, but one Tobit
[197]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


Yeats, who had served him in the same capacity at
London, and was but newly set up in the trade of a
barber-surgeon at Hampton Town, and followed likewise the profession of schoolmaster. This Tobit
Yeats had shaved him quite, before he knew him in
that disguise; and Mr. Campbell, though he knew
him presently, had a mind to try if he should be
known himself first. At length, the barber, finding
him to be a dumb man, by his ordering everything
with motions of the hand and gestures of the body,
looked at him very earnestly, remembered him, and
in a great surprise called for pen, ink, and paper,
and begged to know how he came in that disguise;
whether he was under any misfortune and apprehension of being discovered, that made him go in so
poor and so clownish a habit, and tendered him any
services, as far as his little capacity would reach, and
desired him to be free, and command him, if he was
able to assist him in anything. These were the most
comfortable words that Duncan Campbell had read a
great while. He took the pen and paper in his turn;
related to him his whole story, gave the poor barber
thanks for his good-natured offer, and said he would
make so much use of it as to be indebted to him for
so much money as would pay the stage-coach, and
bear him in his travelling expenses up to London,
from whence he would speedily return the favour with
interest. The poor honest fellow, out of gratitude to
a master whose liberality he had formerly experienced,
immediately furnished Mr. Duncan Campbell with that
little supply, expressing the gladness of his heart that
it lay in his power; and the stage-coach being to set
[198]




DUNCAN IN LONDON


out within but a few hours, he ran instantly to the
inn to see if he could get him a place. By good luck
there was room, and but just room for one more,
which pleased Duncan Campbell mightily when he
was acquainted with it by his true and trusty servant
the barber; for he was as impatient to see London
again, it seems, as he had been before to quit it. Well,
he had his wish; and when he came to London, he
had one wish more for fortune to bestow upon him,
which appeared to begin to grow kind again, after
her fickle fit of cruelty was over; and this wish was,
that he might find his former lodgings empty, and
live in the same house as when he followed his profession. This too succeeded according to his desire,
and he was happily fixed once more to his heart's
content in his old residence, with the same people of
the house round about him, who bore him all that
respect and affection, and showed all that readiness
and willingness to serve him on every occasion, and
at every turn, which could be expected from persons
that let lodgings in town to a gentleman whom they
esteemed the best tenant they ever had in their lives,
or ever could have.
Immediately the tidings of the dumb gentleman's
being returned home from beyond sea spread throughout all the neighbourhood; and it was noised about
from one neighbourhood to another, till it went
through all ranks and conditions, and was known as
well in a day or two's time all the town over, as if
he had been some great man belonging to the state,
and his arrival had been notified to the public in the
Gazette as a person of the last importance. And such
[ 199 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


a person he appeared indeed to be taken for, especially
among the fair sex, who thronged to his doors, crowd
after crowd, to consult with him about their future
occurrences in life.
These curious tribes of people were as various in
their persons, sex, age, quality, profession, art, trade,
as they were in the curiosity of their minds, and the
questions they had intended to propound to this dumb
predictor of strange events, that lay yet as embryos
in the womb of time, and were not to come, some of
them, to a maturity for birth for very many years after,
just as porcelain clay is stored up in the earth by good
artificers, which their heirs make china of half a century, and sometimes more than an age afterwards.
These shoals of customers, who were to fee him
well for his advice, as we may suppose, now he stood
in need of raising a fresh stock, were, unquestionably,
as welcome and acceptable to him as they appeared
too troublesome to him before, when he was in a
state of wealth and plenty.
Fortune, that does nothing moderately, seemed
now resolved, as she had been extremely cruel before,
to be extremely kind to him. He had nothing to
do from early in the morning till late at night,
but to read questions, and resolve them as fast as
much-frequented doctors write their prescriptions
and recipes; and like them also, to receive fees as
fast. Fortune was, indeed, mightily indulgent to
the wants she had so suddenly reduced him to; and
relieved him as suddenly by these knots of curisos,
who brought him a glut of money. But one single
fair lady, that was one of his very best consulters
[200]




GENEROUS SYMPATHY


after his return, and who had received satisfactory
answers from him in other points, before he went
abroad, proved (so good fortune would have it)
worth all the rest of his customers together, as
numerous as they were, and as I have accordingly
represented them.
This lady was the relict or widow of a gentleman
of a good estate, and of a very good family, whose
name was Digby; and a handsome jointure she had
out of the estate. This lady, it seems, having been
with him in former days, and seen him in a more
shining way of life (for he had taken a humour to
appear before all his company in that coarse, odd
dress, made out of the friar's habit, and would not
be persuaded by the people of the house to put on
a night-gown till he could provide himself with a
new suit), was so curious, among other questions,
as to ask him whether he had met with any misfortunes, and how he came to be in so slovenly and
wretched a habit? Here Mr. Campbell related the
whole story of his travels to her, and the crosses
and disappointments he had met with abroad. The
tears, he observed, would start every now and then
into her eyes when she came to any doleful passage,
and she appeared to have a mighty compassionate
kind of feeling when she read of any hardship more
than ordinarily melancholy that had befallen him.
Mr. Campbell, it is certain, had then a very good
presence, and was a handsome and portly young
man; and, as a great many young gentlemen derive
the seeming agreeableness of their persons from the
tailor and peruke-maker, the shoemaker and hosier,
[ 01]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


so Mr. Campbell's person, on the other hand, gave
a good air and a good look to the awkward garb he
had on; and I believe, it was from seeing him in
this odd trim (as they call it) the ladies first took
up the humour of calling him the handsome sloven;
add to this, that he looked his misfortune in the
face with a jolly countenance, and smiled even while
he was penning the relation of his calamities, all
which are certainly circumstances that first soothe
a generous mind into a state of compassion, and
afterwards heighten it in the breast wherein it is
conceived. Hence it came that this pretty and
good-natured widow, Mrs. Digby, when she haid
expressed her commiseration of him by her looks,
began to take the pen and express it in very tender
terms: neither did she think that expression in
words a sufficient testimony of the compassion she
bore to him; the generosity of her mind did lead
her to express it in a more substantial manner still,
and that was, to show it plainly by a very benevolent action. She laid a purse of twenty guineas
before the table, and at the same time smiling,
pointed to the table, as signifying her desire that he
would accept it; and, running to the door, dropped
a curtsey, and scuttled away; and, by the same civil
act as she obliged him, she put it out of his power
to refuse being so obliged; so that, though the
present was very handsome, the manner of giving
it was still handsomer.
If being a handsome young man of merit in distress, and bearing his misfortunes with an equal
mind, are powerful motives to excite compassion in
[202 1




COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE
the mind of a generous lady, so the generosity of a
young agreeable widow, expressed in so kind and so
benevolent a way to a young gentleman, when he
had been tasting nothing but the bitter draughts of
fortune before, must stir up an affection in a mind
that had any sense of gratitude: and truly, just such
was the effect that this lady's civility had upon Mr.
Duncan Campbell. He conceived from that moment
a very great affection for her, and resolved to try
whether he could gain her; which he had no small
grounds to hope, from the esteem which she appeared
to bear towards him already. I remember Mr.
Dryden makes a very beautiful observation of the
near alliance there is between the two passions of
pity and love in a woman's breast, in one of his
plays. His words are these: " For pity still foreruns approaching love as lightning does the thunder."
Mr. Bruyere, a most ingenious member of the French
Academy, has made another remark, which comes
home to our present purpose. He says, that many
women love their money better than their friends;
but yet value their lovers more than their money.
According to the two reflections of these fine writers
upon the tempers of the pair, Mr. Campbell had
hopes enough to ground his courtship upon; and it
appeared so in the end by his proving successful.
She, from being a very liberal and friendly client,
became at last a most affectionate wife. He then
began to be a housekeeper, and accordingly took a
little neat one, and very commodious for his profession, in Monmouth Court. Here I must take leave
to make this observation, that if Mr. Campbell in[203]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


herited the talents of his second-sighted mother, he
seemed likewise to be an heir to his father, Mr.
Archibald Campbell, both in his strange and accidental sufferings by sea, and likewise in his being
relieved from them, after as accidental and strange a
manner, by an unexpected marriage, just like his
father's.
And here we return again to take a new survey of
him in the course of his public practice as a predictor.
The accounts I shall give of his actions here, will be
very various in their nature from any I have yet
presented to the reader: they are more mysterious
in themselves, and yet I shall endeavour to make the
manner of his operating in this kind as plain as, I
think, I have the following ones; and then, I flatter
myself, they must afford a fresh entertainment for
every reader that has any curiosity and a good taste
for things of so extraordinary a kind; for what I
have all along propounded to myself from the beginning, and in the progress, and to the end of this
history, is, to interweave entertaining and surprising
narratives of what Mr. Campbell has done, with
curious and instructive inquiries into the nature of
those actions, for which he has rendered himself so
singularly famous. It was not, therefore, suitable
to my purpose to clog the reader with numerous
adventures, almost all of the same kind; but out of
a vast number of them to single some few of those
that were most remarkable and that were mysteries,
but mysteries of very different sorts. I leave that
method of swelling distorted and commented trifles
into volumes, to the writers of fable and romance:
[204]




THE SEER IN ACTION


if I was to tell his adventures with regard, for instance, to women that came to consult him, I might,
perhaps, have not only written the stories of eleven
thousand virgins that died maids, but have had relations to give of as many married women and widows,
and the work would have been endless. All that I
shall do, therefore, is to pick out one particular,
each of a different kind, that there may be variety
in the entertainment.
Upon application to this dumb man, one is told,
in the middle of her health, that she shall die at
such a time; another, that she shall sicken, and
upon the moment of her recovery, have a suitor and
a husband; a third, who is a celebrated beauty,
with a multitude of admirers round about her, that
she shall never become a wife; a fourth, that is
married, when she shall get rid of an uneasy husband; a fifth, that hath lost her goods, who stole
them, where and when they shall be restored; a
sixth, that is a merchant, when he shall be undone,
and how and when he shall recover his losses, and
be as great on the Exchange as ever; a seventh,
that is a gamester, which will be his winning and his
losing hour; an eighth, how he shall be involved in
a lawsuit, and whether the suit will have a prosperous issue; a ninth, that is a woman with choice of
lovers, which she shall be most happy with for life;
and so on to many others, where every prediction is
perfectly new and surprising, and differs from the
other in almost every circumstance. When a man
has so extensive a genius as this at foretelling the
future occurrences of life, one narrative of a sort is
[ 05]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


enough in conscience to present the reader with;
and several of each kind would not, methinks, be
entertaining but tiresome; for he that can do one
thing in these kinds by the power of prediction, can
do ten thousand; and those who are obstinate in
extenuating his talents, and calling his capacity in
question, and that will not be convinced by one
instance of his judgment, would not own the conviction if ten thousand instances were given them.
The best passages I can recommend to their perusal,
are those where persons, who came purposely to
banter him under the colour of consulting him, and
covered over their sly intentions with borrowed
disguises, and came in masquerades, found all the
jest turned upon themselves in the end, which they
meant to our famous predictor; and had the discouragement of seeing their most-concealed and
deepest-laid plots discovered, and all their most witty
fetches and wily contrivances defeated, till they were
compelled universally to acknowledge, that endeavouring to impose upon the judgment of our seer by any
hidden artifice and cunning whatsoever was effectually
imposing upon their own. His unusual talent in
this kind was so openly known and so generally confessed, that his knowledge was celebrated in some of
the most witty weekly papers that ever appeared in
public. Isaac Bickerstaff, who diverted all the beaumonde for a long space of time with his lucubrations,
takes occasion in several of his papers to applaud
the speculations of this dumb gentleman, in an admirable vein of pleasantry and humour, peculiar to
the writer, and to the subject he wrote upon; and
[206]




A LETTER OF INQUIRY
when that bright author, who joined the uttermost
facetiousness with the most solid improvements of
morality and learning in his works, laid aside the
title of a Tatler, and assumed the name of a Spectator
and censor of men's actions, he still every now and
then thought our Duncan Campbell a subject worthy
enough to employ his farther consideration upon.
I must take notice of one letter sent concerning him
to the Spectator, in the year 1712, which was at a
time when a lady wanted him, after he had removed
from Monmouth Street to Drury Lane.
" MR. SPECTATOR, -About two years ago, I was
called upon by the younger part of a country family,
by my mother's side related to me, to visit Mr.
Campbell, the dumb man; for they told me that was
chiefly what brought them to town, having heard
wonders of him in Essex. I, who always wanted
faith in such matters, was not easily prevailed on to
go; but lest they should take it ill, I went with them,
when, to my own surprise, Mr. Campbell related all
their past life (in short, had he not been prevented,
such a discovery would have come out as would have
ruined their next design of coming to town, viz.,
buying wedding clothes). Our names, though he
never heard of us before, and endeavoured to conceal,
were as familiar to him as to ourselves. To be sure,
Mr. Spectator, he is a very learned and wise man.
Being impatient to know my fortune, having paid
my respects in a family Jacobus, he told me, after
his manner, among several other things, that in a
year and nine months I should fall ill of a new fever,
[ 207 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


be given over by my physicians, but should with much
difficulty recover; that the first time I took the air
afterwards, I should be addressed to by a young
gentleman of a plentiful fortune, good sense, and a
generous spirit.  Mr. Spectator, he is the purest
man in the world; for all he said is come to pass,
and I am the happiest woman in Kent. I have been
in quest of Mr. Campbell these three months, and
cannot find him out: now, hearing you are a dumb
man too, I thought you might correspond and be
able to tell me something; for I think myself highly
obliged to make his fortune, as he has mine. 'T is
very possible your worship, who has spies all over
this town, can inform me how to send to him; if
you can, I beseech you be as speedy as possible, and
you will highly oblige your constant reader and
admirer,             "DULCIBELLA THANKLEY.'
THE 'C SPECTATOR'S " ANSWER.
"Ordered that the inspector I employ about wonders inquire at the Golden Lion, opposite to the Half
Moon Tavern in Drury Lane, into the merit of this
silent sage, and report accordingly." - Vide the
seventh volume of Spectator, No. 474; being on
Wednesday, September the 3rd, 1712.
But now let us come to those passages of his life
the most surprising of all, during the time that he
enjoyed this reputation, and when he proved that he
deserved the fame he enjoyed. Let us take a survey
of him while he is wonderfully curing persons labouring under the misfortune of witchcraft, of which the
[208]




SUSANNA JOHNSON


following story will be an eminent instance, and likewise clear up how he came by his reputation in Essex,
as mentioned in the above-mentioned letter to the
Spectator.
In the year 1709, Susanna Johnson, daughter to
one Captain Johnson, who lived at a place adjacent
to Romford, in Essex, going one morning to that
town to buy butter at the market, was met there by
an old miserable-looking woman, just as she had
taken some of her change of the market-woman in
copper, and this old woman rather demanded than
begged the gentlewoman to give her a penny. Mrs.
Johnson, reputing her to be one of those hateful
people that are called sturdy beggars, refused it her,
as thinking it to be no act of charity, and that it
would be rather gratifying and indulging her impudence than supplying or satisfying her indigence.
Upon the refusal, the old hag, with a face more
wrinkled still, if possible, by anger than it was by
age, took upon her to storm at young Mrs. Johnson
very loudly, and to threaten and menace her; but
when she found her common threats and menaces of
no avail, she swore she would be revenged of the
young creature in so signal a manner, that she should
repent the denial of that penny from her heart before she got home, and that it should cost her many
pounds to get rid of the consequences of that denial
and her anger. The poor innocent creature despised
these last words likewise, and getting up on horseback, returned homewards; but just as she got about
half way her horse stopped, and no means that she
could use would make him advance one single step;
1              [ 209 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


but she stayed a while, to see if that would humour
him to go on. At last the beast began to grow unruly, and snorted and trembled as if he had seen or
smelt something that frighted him, and so fell
a kicking desperately till he threw the girl from the
saddle, not being able to cling to it any longer, though
a pretty good horsewoman of her years; so much
were the horse's motions and plungings more than
ordinarily violent.
As Providence would have it, she got not much
harm by the fall, receiving only a little bruise in
the right shoulder; but she was dreadfully frighted.
This fear added wings to her feet, and brought her
home as speedily of herself as she usually came on
horseback. She immediately, without any other sign
of illness than the pallid colour with which fear had
disordered the complexion of her face, alarmed all
the family at home with the story, took her bed
upon it, complained of inward rackings of the belly,
and was never at ease unless she lay doubled up
together, her head to her knees, and her heels to her
rump, just like a figure of 8. She could not be a
single moment out of that posture without shrieking
out with the violence of anxious torments and racking pains.
In this condition of misery, amidst this agony of
suffering, and in this double posture, was the poor
wretched young gentlewoman brought to town.
Physicians were consulted about her, but in vain.
She was carried to different hospitals for assistance,
but their endeavours likewise proved ineffectual. At
last she was conducted to the College of Physicians;
[210]




A LAST RESORT


and even the collective wisdom of the greatest sages
and adepts in the science of physic was posed to give
her any prescription that would do her service, and
relieve her from the inexplicable malady she laboured
under. The poor incurable creature was one constant subject of her complaining mother's discourse
in every company she came into. It happened at
last, and very providentially, truly, that the mother
was thus condoling the misfortune of her child among
five or six ladies, and telling them, among other
things, that by the most skilful persons she was
looked upon to be bewitched, and that it was not
within the power of physic to compass her recovery.
They all having been acquainted with our Mr. Duncan Campbell, unanimously advised her to carry her
daughter to his house, and consult with him about
her. The mother was overjoyed at these tidings,
and purposed to let no time slip where her child's
health was so deeply concerned. She got the ladies
to go with her and her child, to be eye-witnesses of
so extraordinary a piece of practice, and so eminent
a trial of skill.
As soon as this dismal object was brought into his
room Mr. Duncan Campbell lifted up her head and
looked earnestly in her face, and in less than a minute's
time signified to the company that she was not only
bewitched, but in as dreadful a condition almost as
the man that had a legion of fiends within him.
At the reading of these words, the unhappy creature raised up her head, turned her eyes upwards,
and a smile (a thing she had been a stranger to for
many months) overspread her whole face, and such a
[ 211 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


kind of colour as is the flushing of joy and gladness,
and with an innocent tone of voice she said she now
had a firm belief she should shortly be delivered.
The mother and the rest of the company were all in
tears, but Mr. Campbell wrote to them that they
should be of good heart, be easy and quiet for a few
moments, and they should be convinced that it
was witchcraft, but happily convinced, by seeing her
so suddenly well again. This brought the company into pretty good temper; and a little after,
Mr. Campbell desired she might be led upstairs to his
chamber, and left there alone with him for a little
while. This occasioned some small female speculation, and as much mirth as their late sorrow, alleviated with the hopes of her cure, would permit.
This, you may be sure, was but a snatch of mirth,
just as the nature of the thing would allow of; and
all sorts of waggery being laid instantly aside, and
removed almost as soon as conceived, the poor young
thing was carried in that double posture upstairs.
She had not been much above half-an-hour there,
when, by the help only of Mr. Campbell's arm, she
was led downstairs, and descended into that room
full of company, as a miracle appearing in a machine from above; she was led backward and forward
through the room, while all gazed at her for a while
with joyful astonishment, for no arrow was more
straight than she. Mr. Campbell then prevailed
with her to drink a glass of wine, and immediately
after she evacuated wind, which she had not done
some months before, and found herself still more
amended and easy; and then the mother, making
[212]




THE SCIENCE OF MAGIC


Mr. Campbell some small acknowledgment at that
time, with the promise of more, and her daughter
giving thanks, and all the company commending his
skill, took their leave and departed with great demonstrations of joy. I shall here, to cut the story
short, signify that she came frequently afterwards to
make her testimonials of gratitude to him, and continues to enjoy her health to this very day at Greenwich, where she now lives, and will at any time, if
called upon, make oath of the truth of this little
history, as she told me herself with her own mouth.
The next thing, therefore, it behoves me to do in
this chapter is, to give some satisfactory account of
magic, by which such seeming mysterious cures and
operations are brought about.
This task I would perform in the most perspicuous
and most convincing manner I can; for magic, I
know, is held to be a very hard and difficult study
by those learned, and universally unlawful and diabolical by those unlearned, who believe there is such
a science attainable by human genius. On the other
hand, by some learned men, who believe there is no
such science, it is represented as an inconsistent system of superstitions and chimeras; and again laughed
at as such by the unlearned, who are of an incredulous
temper. What I would therefore undertake to do in
this place is to show the learned men, who believe
there is such an art, that the attainment to a tolerable knowledge of the manner how magical practices
may be brought about is no such difficult matter as
they have represented it to themselves; and by doing
this I shall make the system of it so plain, that while
[ 21]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


the learned approve of it, the unlearned, too, who are
not of an unbelieving kind, may understand clearly
what I say; and the learned men who have rejected
this science as chimerical, may be clearly convinced
it is real; and then there is nothing left but obstinate, unbelieving ignorance, which I shall not here
pretend by arguments to lead into sense, but leave it
to the work of time. In fine, I will endeavour to
induce men of sense to say, that what has been accounted mysterious is delivered in a plain, easy, and
convincing manner, and to own that they approve;
while men of the lower class of understanding shall
confess and acknowledge that they themselves understand it, and that what' has hitherto been represented
as arduous and difficult to a great genius is adapted
and rendered not only clear but familiar to persons
of middling talents. In this work, therefore, I shall
follow the strictest order I can (which of all things
renders a discourse upon any subject the most clear);
and that it may be plain to the commonest capacity,
I will first set down what order I intend to follow.
First, I will speak of magic in general.
Secondly, of magic under its several divisions and
subdivisions.
Thirdly, concerning the object of art, as it is
good or bad.
Fourthly, of the persons exercising that art in
either capacity of good or bad, and by what means
they become capacitated to exercise it.
In the fifth place I shall come to the several objections against the art of magic, and the refutation
of those objections.
[214]




MAGIC IN GENERAL


The first objection shall be against the existence
of good and bad spirits; the refutation of which
will consist in my proving the existences of spirits
both good and bad, by reason, and by experience.
The second objection that will be brought, is to
contain an allegation that there are no such persons
as witches now, and an argument to support that
allegation, drawn from the incapacity and impossibility of anything making (while itself is incarnate)
a contract with a spirit. This objection will be answered by proving the reality of witches from almost
universal experience, and by explaining rationally
the manner how the devils hold commerce with
witches; which explication is backed and authorised
by the opinion of the most eminent divines and the
most learned physicians.
From hence, sixthly and lastly, we shall conclude
on the side of the good magic, that as there are
witches on the one hand that may afflict and torment
persons with demons, so on the other hand there are
lawful and good magicians that may cast out
demons from people that are possessed with them.
And, first, as to magic in general. Magic consists in the spirit by faith, for faith is that magnet
of the magicians by which they draw spirits to them,
and by which spirits they do great things, and appear like miracles.
Secondly, magic is divided into three sorts, viz.,
divine, natural, and diabolical; and natural magic
is again subdivided into two kinds, simple and compound; and natural compound magic is again likewise divided into two kinds, viz., natural divine
[ 215]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


magic and natural diabolical magic. Now, to give
the reader a clear and distinct notion of each several
species of magic here mentioned, I set down the following definitions:- Divine magic is a celestial
science, in which all operations that are wonderfully
brought about are performed by the Spirit of God.
Natural magic is a science in which all the mysterious acts that are wrought are compassed by natural
spirits; but this natural magic may be exercised
about things either in a manner indifferent in themselves, or mere morally good, and then it is mere
natural maic, or else about things theologically
good and transcendently bad, and then it is not
merely and natural magic but mixed and compound.
If natural magic be exercised about the most holy
operations, it is then mixed with the divine, and
may then be called, not improperly, natural divine
magic; but if natural magic troubles itself about
compassing the wickedest practices, then is it promiscuous with the demoniacal, and may not improperly be called natural diabolical magic.
Thirdly, the object of this art is doing wonders
out of the ordinary appearing course of nature, which
tend either to great good or bad, by the help and
mediation of spirits good and bad.
Fourthly, as to the persons exercising that art in
either way, whether good or bad, and by what means
they become capacitated to act it, the notion of this
may be easily deduced from the notions of the art
itself, as considered above in its each different species:
for as all magic consists in a spirit, every magician
acts by a spirit.
[216]




PRO AND CON


Divine magicians that are of God are spoken of in
the sacred book, and therefore I shall not mention
the passages here, but pass them over, as I ought to
do in a book like this, with a profound and reverential silence, as well as the other passages, which speak
of natural and demoniacal magicians; and in all I
shall speak of them in this place, I shall only speak
of them with regard to human reason and experience,
and conclude this head with saying, that natural
magicians work all things by the natural spirits of
the elements; but that witches and demoniacal
magicians, as Jannes and Jambres in Egypt were,
work their magical performances by the spirit of
demons, and it is by the means of these different
spirits that these different magicians perform their
different operations.
These things thus distinctly settled and explained,
it is now we must come and ground the dispute,
between those who believe there are no such things
as magicians of any kind, and those who assert there
are of all the kinds above specified.
Those who contend there are, have recourse to
experience, and relate many well-witnessed narratives, to prove that there have been at all times,
and that there are still, magicians of all these kinds;
but those who contend that there are no such persons, will give no ear to what the others call plain
experience; they call the stories, let whatever witnesses appear to justify them, either fabulous legends
invented by the authors, or else tricks of intellectual
legerdemain imposed by the actors upon the relaters
of those actions. Since, therefore, they say, though
[ 17]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


the believers in magic brag of experience never so
much, it may be but a fallible experience; they
reasonably desire to know whether these gentlemen
that stand for magic can answer the objections which
they propose, to prove that the practice of magic,
according to the system laid down, is inconsistent
with reason, before they will yield their assent. Let
the stories be never so numerous, appear never so
credible, these unbelieving gentlemen desire to be
tried by reason, and aver, till that reason is given,
they will not be convinced by the number of stories,
because, though numerous, they are stories still,
neither will they believe them because they appear
credible; because seeming so is not being so, and
appearances, though never so fair, when they contradict reason, are not to be swallowed down with
an implicit faith as so many realities. And thus far,
no doubt, the gentlemen who are on the unbelieving
side, are very much in the right on it. The learned
gentlemen, on the other hand, who are persuaded of
this mighty mysterious power being lodged in the
hands of magicians, answer, that they will take upon
them to refute the most subtle objections brought
by the learned unbelievers, and to reconcile the
practicability of magical mysteries, by the capacity
of men who study that art to right rules and laws of
reasoning, and to show that some stories, though
never so prodigious, which are told of magicians,
demand the belief of wise men on two accounts;
because, as experience backs reason on the one hand,
reason backs experience on the other, and so the issue
of the whole argument (whether there are magicians
[218]




FIRST OBJECTION


or not) is thrown upon both experience and reason.
These arguments on each side I shall draw up fairly,
pro and con, for I do not pretend to be the inventor
of them myself, they belong to other authors many
years ago; be it enough for me to boast of, if I can
draw them up in a better and closer form together
than they have yet appeared in: in that I take upon
myself a very great task; I erect myself as it were
into a kind of a judge; I will sum up the evidences
on both sides, and I shall, wherever I see occasion,
intimate which side of the argument bears the most
weight with me; but when I have enforced my
opinion as far as I think needful, my readers, like a
jury, are still at liberty to bring in their verdict just
as they themselves shall see fit; and this naturally
leads me where I promised to come to in the fifth
part of this discourse, to the several objections
against the power of art magic and refutation of those
objections.
THE FIRST OBJECTIONS BEING AGAINST THE EXISTENCE
OF SPIRITS, AND THE REFUTATIONS THEREOF.
The first objection, which they who reject magic
make use of, is, denying that there are any such
things as spirits, about which, since those who defend the art say it entirely exerciseth itself, the
objectors contend, that if they can make out that
there are no such beings as spirits, all pretensions
to the art must be entirely groundless, and for the
future exploded.
To make this part out, that there are no spirits,
[2 19]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


the first man they produce on their side is undoubtedly one of very great credit and authority,
inasmuch as he has justly borne for many centuries
the title of a prince of philosophers. They say that
Aristotle, in his book "De Mundo," reasons thus
against the existence of spirits, viz., That since God
can do all things of Himself, He doth not stand in
need of ministering angels and demons; a multitude
of servants showing the weakness of a prince.
The gentlemen who defend the science make this
reply: they allow the credit and authority of Aristotle as much as the objectors; but as the objectors
themselves deny all the authorities for the spirits,
and desire that reason may be the only ground they
go upon, so the refuters, on their parts, desire that
Aristotle's ipse dixit may not be absolutely passed
upon them for argument, but that his words may be
brought to the same touchstone of reason, and
proved if they are standard. If this argument, say
they, will hold good, Aristotle should not suppose
intelligences moving the celestial spheres, for God
sufficeth to move all without ministering spirits; nor
would there be need of a sun in the world, for God
can enlighten all things by Himself, and so all
second causes would be taken away; therefore there
are angels and ministering spirits in the world, for
the majesty of God, not for His want of them, and
for order, not for His omnipotency. And here, if
the objectors return and say, Who told you that
there are spirits? Is not yours a precarious hypothesis? may not we have leave to recriminate in this
place, Pray who told Aristotle that there were in[220]




SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE


telligences that moved the celestial spheres? Is not
this hypothesis as precarious as any man may pretend
that of spirits to be? and we believe there are few
philosophers at present who agree with Aristotle in
that opinion; and we dare pronounce this to be
ours, that Aristotle took his intelligences from
the Hebrews, who went according to the same whimsical though pretty notion, which first gave rise to
the fiction of the nine Muses; but more than all this,
it is a very great doubt among learned men, whether
this book " De Mundo," be Aristotle's or no.
The next thing the objectors bring against the
existence of spirits, is, that it is nonsense for men to
say that there are such beings of which it is impossible for a man to have any notion, and they insist
upon it that it is impossible for any man to form
an idea of a spiritual substance. As to this part, the
defendants rejoin, that they think our late most
judicious Mr. Locke, in his elaborate and finished
" Essay on Human Understanding," has fairly made
out, that men have as clear a notion of a spiritual
substance as they have of any corporeal substance,
matter, or body; and that there is as much reason
for admitting the existence of the one as of the other;
for that if they admit the latter, it is but humour in
them to deny the former. It is in book the second,
chapter 29, where he reasons thus: " If a man will examine himself, concerning his notion of pure substance
in general, he will find he has no other idea of it, but
only a supposition of he knows not what support of
such quality which are capable of producing simple
ideas in us, which qualities are commonly called ac[ 221]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


cidents. Thus if we talk or think of any particular
sort of corporeal substance, as horse, stone, &c.,
though the idea we have of either of them be but
the complication or collection of those several simple
ideas, or sensible qualities, which we use to find
united in the thing called horse or stone; yet because we cannot conceive how they should subsist
alone, not one in another, we suppose them to exist
in and be supported by some common subject, which
support we denote by the name of substance, though
it be certain we have no clear or distinct idea of that
thing we suppose a support. The same happens
concerning the operations of our mind, viz., thinking, reasoning, and fearing, &c., which we concluding
not to subsist of themselves, and not apprehending
how they can belong to body, we are apt to think
these the actions of some substance which we call
spirit. Whereby it is evident, that having no other
notion of matter, but something wherein those many
sensible qualities, which affect our senses, do subsist
by supposing a substance wherein thinking, knowing,
doubting, and a power of moving, &c., do subsist,
we have as clear a notion of the nature or substance
of spirit, as we have of body; the one being supposed
to be, without knowing what is the substratum to those
simple ideas which we have, from without, and the
other supposed, with a like ignorance of what it is, to
be the substratum of the operations which we experiment in ourselves within. 'T is plain then, that the
idea of corporeal substance in matter, is as remote
from our conceptions and apprehensions as that of
spiritual substance; and therefore from our not hav[ 222 ]




LOCKE AND LE CLERC


ing any notion of the substance of spirit we can no
more conclude its non-existence, than we can for the
same reason deny the existence of body; it being as
rational to affirm there is no body, because we cannot know its essence, as it's called, or have the idea
of the substance of matter, as to say, there is no
spirit, because we know not its essence, or have
no idea of a spiritual substance." Mr. Locke, also
comparing our idea of spirit with our idea of body,
thinks there may seem rather less obscurity in the
former than the latter. Our idea of body, he takes
to be an extended solid substance, capable of communicating motion by impulse; and our idea of soul
is a substance that thinks, and has a power of exciting motion in body by will or thought. Now,
some perhaps will say, they comprehend a thinking
thing, which perhaps is true; but, he says, if they
consider it well, they can no more comprehend an
extended thing; and if they say they know not what
it is thinks in them, they mean they know not what
the substance is of that thinking thing; no more,
says he, do they know what the substance is of that
solid thing; and if they say, they know not how
they think, he says, neither do they know how they
are extended, how the solid parts are united, or
where to make extension, &c.
The learned Monsieur Le Clerc, who generally
knows how far human reason can bear, argues consonantly to what is before delivered by Mr. Locke,
in his " Coronis" added to the end of the fourth
volume of his philosophical works, in the third
edition of them, where he writes as followeth:
[ 223 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


" When we contemplate the corporeal nature, we
can see nothing in it but extension, divisibility,
solidity, mobility, and various determinations of
quantity, or figures; which being so, it were a rash
thing, and contrary to the laws of right reasoning,
to affirm other things of bodies; and consequently
from mere body, nothing can be deduced by us,
which is not joined in a necessary connection with
the said properties.  Therefore those, who have
thought the properties of perceiving by sense, of
understanding, willing, imagining, remembering, and
others the like, which have no affinity with corporeal
things, to have risen from the body, have greatly
transgressed in the method of right reasoning and
philosophising, which hath been done by Epicurus,
and those who have thought as he did, having affirmed
our minds to be composed of corporeal atoms. But
whence shall we say they have had their rise? truly,
they do not owe their rise to matter, which is wholly
destitute of sense and thought, nor are they spontaneously sprung up from nothing, it being an ontological maxim of most evident truth, that nothing
springs from nothing."
Having thus given the reader the first objections
made against the existence of spirits, and the refutations thereof, I must now frankly own on which side
my opinion leans; and for my part, it seems manifest
to me that there are two beings we conceive very
plainly and distinctly, viz., body and spirit, and
that it would be as absurd and ridiculous to deny
the existence of the one, as of the other: and really,
if the refuters have got the better in their way of
[ 224]




SPIRITS MAY BE SEEN.


reasoning, they have still a much greater advantage
over the objectors, when they come to back these
reasons with fresh arguments drawn from experience.
Of this, there having been many undoubted narratives given in the foregoing pages, concerning the
apparitions of spirits, I shall refer the reader back
again to them, and only subjoin here one or two
instances, which may, if required, be proved upon
oath, of spirits seen by two persons of our Duncan
Campbell's own acquaintance. In the year 1711,
one Mrs. Stephens and her daughter were, together
with Mr. Campbell, at the house of Mr. Ramell's, a
very great and noted weaver at Haggerstone, where
the rainy weather detained them till late at night.
Just after the clock struck twelve, they all of them
went to the door to see if the rain had ceased, being
extremely desirous to get home. As soon as ever
they had opened the door and were all got together,
there appeared before them a thing all in white;
the face seemed of a dismal pallid hue, but the eyes
thereof fiery and flaming like beacons, and of a
saucer size. It made its approaches to them, till it
came up within the space of about three yards of
them; there it fixed and stood like a figure agaze,
for some minutes; and they all stood likewise stiff
like the figure, frozen with fear, motionless, and
speechless: when all of a sudden it vanished frcon
their eyes; and that apparition to the sight was
succeeded by a noise, or the appearance of a noise,
like that which is occasioned by the fighting of
twenty mastiff dogs.
Not long after, Mrs. Anne Stephens, who lived in
15              [ 25]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


Spitalfields, a woman well known by her great dealings
with mercers upon Ludgate Hill, sitting in her house
alone, and musing upon business, happened by accident
to look behind her, and saw a dead corpse, to her
thinking, lie extended upon the floor just as a dead
corpse should be, excepting that the foot of one leg
was fixed on the ground as it is in a bed, when one
lies with one knee up; she looked at it a long while,
and by degrees at last stole her eyes from so unpleasing and unexpected an object. However, a strange
kind of a curiosity overcame her fears, and she ventured a second time to turn her head that way, and
saw it, as before, fixed for a considerable time longer,
but durst not stir from her seat; she again withdrew
her eyes from the horrible and melancholy spectacle,
and resumed the courage, after a little reflection, of
viewing it again, and resolving to ascertain herself
if the vision was real, by getting up from her seat
and going to it, but upon this third retrospection
she found it vanished. This relation she writ down
to Mr. Duncan Campbell, and has told it before Mrs.
Ramell, her own sister, and many other very creditable persons. Now as to these arguments from experience, I shall also deliver my opinion; I dispute
not but that learned men, who have obstinate prepossessions, may produce plausible arguments, why all
things should be thought to be done by imposture
which seem strange to them, and interfere with their
belief; and truly thus far their humour may be indulged, that if only one person relates a very strange
and surprising story, a man may be more apt to think
it is possible for that person to lie, than that so strange
[226]




SECOND OBJECTION


a relation should be true; but if a considerable number of persons of several countries, several religions,
several professions, several ages, and those persons
looked upon to be of as great sagacity as any the
country afford, agree in relations of the same kind,
though very strange, and are ready to vouch the truth
of them upon oath after having well considered circumstances, I think it a violation of the law of nature
to reject all these relations as fabulous, merely upon
a self-presuming conceit, unless a man can fairly
show the things to be impossible, or can demonstrate
wherein those persons were imposed on; for from
hence I form the following conclusive argument:
What is possible according to reason grows probable
according to belief, where the possibility is attested
to have reduced itself into action by persons of known
credit and integrity. Now, not only the possibility
of the existence of spirits, but the actual existence
thereof, is proved above by logical demonstration;
therefore are we to believe both by the course of
logical reason, and moral faith, that those existences
have appeared to men of credit, who have attested
the reality thereof upon oath.
SECOND OBJECTION AGAINST THE EXISrENCE OF
WrrTCHEs.
These objections go on to say that, provided they
should allow there is an existence of spirits, yet that
would be still no argument how magic should subsist,
because they deny that it is possible for a man in his
body to have a commerce, much less make a contract
[ 227




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


with spirits; but here again the refuters allege they
have both experience and reason on their sides. As
a joint argument of reason and experience, they tell
you that the numerous witches which have in all
countries been arraigned and condemned upon this
occasion, are evident testimonies of this commerce
and contract being held and made with spirits. They
pretend to say that these objectors call not their, the
refuters', judgment so much in question, who contend
that there is a magic art, as they call in question the
judgment of all the wisest legislative powers in Christendom, who have universally agreed in enacting penal
laws against such capital offenders.
But here the objectors return and say that it being impossible for us to show the manner how such a
contract should be made, we can never, but without
reason, believe a thing to be of which we can form
no perfect idea. The refuters, on the other hand,
reply with the learned Father le Brune: it's manifest,
that we can see but two sorts of beings, spirits and
bodies; and that since we can reason but according
to our own ideas, we ought to ascribe to spirits what
cannot be produced by bodies.  Indeed, the author
of the "Republic of Learning," in the month of
August, anno 1686, has given us a rough draft for
writing a good tract of witchcraft, which he looks
upon as a desideratum, where among other things
he writes thus: " Since this age is the true time of
systems, one should be contrived concerning the
commerce that may be betwixt demons and men."
On this passage, Father le Brune writes thus:
"Doubtless here the author complies with the lan[ 228]




SYSTEM IN MAGIC


guage of a great many persons, who for want of
attention and light, would have us put all religion
in systems. Whatever regard I ought to have for
many of those persons, I must not be afraid to say
that there is no system to be made of those truths,
which we ought to learn distinctly by faith, because
we must advance nothing here but what we receive
from the oracle. We must make a system to explain
the effects of the loadstone, the ebbing and flowing
of the sea, the motion of the planets; for that the
cause of these effects is not evidently signified to us,
and many may be conceived by us; and to determine
us, we have need of a great number of observations,
which by an exact induction, may lead us to a cause
that may satisfy all the phenomena. It's not the
same in the truths of religion, we come not at them
by groping; it were to be wished men spoke not of
them, but after a decisive and infallible authority.
It's thus we should speak of the power of demons,
and of the commerce they have with men; it's of
faith that they have power, and that they attack
men, and try to seduce them divers ways. It is true
indeed, they are sometimes permitted to have it
over the just, though they have it not ordinarily but
over those that want faith, or fear not to partake of
their works; and that to the last particularly, the
disordered intelligences try to make exactly succeed
what they wish; inspiring them to have recourse to
certain practices by which those seducing spirits
enter into commerce with men." Thus far Father le
Brune. But still these objectors demand to know by
what means this commerce may be held between
[229 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


demons and men, and urge us to describe the manner; or pretend that they have still reason to refuse
coming into the belief of a thing which we would
impose upon them, though wholly ignorant of it
ourselves. To that, the refuters answer thus: That
both Christian divines, and physicians agree (as to
the manner how, which they are so curious in inquiring after), that demons stir up raptures and ecstasies
in men, binding or loosing the exterior senses, and
that either by stopping the pores of the brain, so
that the spirits cannot pass forth (as it's done naturally by sleep), or by recalling the sensitive spirits
from the outward senses to the inward organs, which
he there retains. So the devil renders women witches
ecstatical and magicians, who, while they lie fast
asleep in one place, think they have been in divers
places and done many things. This the learned
objectors say proceeds from no demon, but from the
disease called an epilepsy; but, on the other hand,
the more learned refuters insist upon it that these
ecstasies are not epileptic seizures. This, say they,
appears from Bodin, in his " Theatre of Universal
Nature," where he says that " those that are wrapt
by the devil feel neither stripes nor cuttings, nor no
wresting of their limbs, nor burning tortures, nor
the application of a red-hot iron; nay, nor is the beat
of the pulse, nor the iotion of the heart perceived
in them; but after-v *rds, returning to themselves,
they feel most bitter pains of the wounds received,
and tell of things done at 600 miles distance, and
affirm themselves to have seen them done." The
ingenious Dr. Ader makes an admirable physical
[230]




NATURAL MAGIC


distinction between this kind of ecstasy and a syncope
or stupor caused by narcotic medicines. Sennertus,
in his " Institutio Medical writes of the demoniacal
sopor of witches, who think they are carried through
the air, dance, feast, and have copulation with the
devil, and do other things in their sleep, and afterwards believe the same things waking. Now he says,
"Whether they are really so carried in the air, &c.,
or being in a profound sleep, only dream they are so
carried, and persist in that opinion after they are
awake, these facts or dreams cannot be natural; for
it cannot be that there should be so great an agreement in dreams, of persons differing in place, temperament, age, sex, and studies, that in one night,
and at the same hour, they should, in concert, dream
of one and the same such meeting, and should agree
as to the place, number, and quality of the persons
and the like circumstances. But such dreams are
suggested from a preternatural cause; viz., from
the devil to his confederate, by the divine permission
of an Almighty power, where punishments are to
be permitted to be inflicted upon reprobate sinners."
Whence also, to those witches sincerely converted,
and refusing to be any more present at those diabolical meetings, those dreams no longer happen,
which is a proof that they proceeded not, before,
from a natural cause.
Here begins the great point of the dispute as to
that branch of magic which we call natural magic.
The objectors may tell us that they will freely own
that there may be an existence of spirits, that there
may be an existence of witches, that by a divine
[231]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


power men may be influenced so far as to have a
communication with good spirits, and that from
thence they may become spiritual, divine magicians.
They will likewise, perhaps, as freely grant that, by
the intervention of a demon, things preternatural
may be brought about by persons who have studied
the demoniacal magic, but then what they principally
insist upon is, that it must be contradictory to all
human reason to imagine that there can be such a
thing as natural magicians, and thus far they may
form their argument. They say that the persons
who contend for the magic art own that all that is
brought about by magic is by the assistance and
help of a spirit, and that consequently what is effected
by it must be preternatural. Now they say it is a
thing inconsistent by a natural power to bring about
a preternatural effect; therefore there can be no such
thing as natural magic, which has within itself the
efficacy of destroying those acts done by magicians
in the diabolical.
To this the refuters take leave to reply, that the
foundation upon which the argument is built is
wrongly grounded; they have admitted that, in
diabolical magic art, there may be a commerce held
between men and spirits, by which several preternatural effects may be brought about; and the reason
they assign for it there is, because there is a preternatural agent concerned therein, the devil; but then,
say they, in natural magic you can pretend to no
such agent, and therefore to no such preternatural
effect. This argument contains within it two fallacies; first, as to the commerce held between a man
[2S2]




PRETERNATURAL MAGIC


and a demon, there is nothing preternatural in getting the acquaintance; the will of the man is entirely
natural, either naturally good or naturally corrupted.
The black spirit that converseth with him, it is
acknowledged is not so, but it is from the will of the
man, not from the power vested in the devil that the
acquaintance first grows, therefore the acquaintance
itself is natural, though it arises from the last corruption and depravations of nature; but being made
with a preternatural existence, though the cause of
the acquaintance be corruptedly natural, yet the
intermediate cause or means after that acquaintance
is not so, and therefore the effect of that intermediate
cause may be wonderful, and seem to be out of the
ordinary course of nature. Now, since it is generally
allowed that there are natural spirits of the elements
as well as divine and infernal, what we have to prove
is only this, that man, by natural magic, may have
a commerce with natural spirits of their elements, as
witches may have with the spirits or demons. Now,
as we said before, the commerce itself depends upon
the will of the person, and is therefore natural, and
consequently may as well subsist between the one as
the other; for the devil cannot force a man to hold
a commerce with him whether he will or no. The
second fallacy is calling the effect preternatural, no
otherwise than as it connotates the agent that
brought it about, which is a spiritual agent; for the
effect is (in itself considered) natural, and brought
about by second causes that are natural, by the
devil's penetration, who is subtle enough to make use
of them for such and such ends. Now men, by
[ 23]




MR DUNCAN CAMPBELL


natural spirits, which are of a faculty thoroughly
subtle, may as well, with natural second causes,
compass the remedy of an evil spirit as the devil is
able to infect men with it. From these speculations
a farther plain consequence may be deduced, how a
man may, by the pure force of natural magic, cure a
person that is infested with evils by a demon; for
how is it that a demon infests any body with his evil
motions? 'T is true he is a preternatural agent, but
the evil effect he does is brought about by natural
causes. For how does a demon stir up raptures or
ecstasies in men? Why, he does it (as we are told
above) by binding or loosing the exterior senses, by
stopping the pores of the brain, so that the spirits
cannot pass forth; and this the art of physic can
compass by its drugs, and sleep causes the same thing
very naturally of itself; therefore as the evil itself is
natural, the remedy that is natural will certainly
overcome it. But then, say you, why cannot those
persons be cured by physicians? I answer, not because their remedies are not in themselves sufficient
to cure the evils themselves, but because generally
physicians do not administer their drugs as Christians
but as physicians; and when they prescribe them to
the sick they generally prescribe to them only purely
considered as patients, not as Christians, and therein
they come to fail; because the agent, the devil, is a
subtle spirit that brings the evil, and alters its situation before the remedy, which would master it
otherwise, can take any effect; which agent, the
devil, is employed by the horrible and impious faith
of the anti-physician, viz., the black magician. But
[234 ]




MAGIC IN SCRIPTURE


if the physician would act the Christian at the same
time, so far as to have a faith that things ordained
in the course of nature, for the good of man, would
have its effects in spite of a devil, if taken with a
good faith by the patient; that all good things
ordained to be for the natural recovery of men, if
they took it with thankfulness to the sender, would
have due effect; why then the natural spirits of the
elements would resist the farther agency of the demoniacal spirit, and then nothing but the natural
evil (caused at first by the demon) remaining in the
person without the farther superintendency of the
demon, might demonstratively be taken away by
the mere natural remedy or medicine; and thus good
and pious physicians, making use of such proper
remedies as their skill teaches them, and having an
honest faith that the goods of nature intended for
the use and benefit of man, if received by the patient
with the same good faith, is above the power of the
devil to frustrate, may not improperly be called
natural magicians. These arguments of mine I shall
now take leave to back by experience.
Besides what we have urged from reason, concerning the power of natural magic, we shall only subjoin,
that divines themselves hold that natural magic, and
also natural divinations and prophecies, are proved
by quotations from that venerable writ which is their
guide; and bring proofs from the same also, that by
natural magic demons are also cast forth, but not all
kinds of demons, and so many works of efficacy are
wrought by natural magic. They tell you such was
the Pythonissa that raised the apparition to Saul,
[ 235 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


which appeared in a body of wind and air. Thus if a
person, by natural magic, should cast out demons, it
does not follow that this was also from divine magic;
and if demons are cast out by natural magic by one
that is in the fear of God, it does not follow that he
is a true magician of God, but if it exorbitates to
demoniacal, then it is condemned; and when natural
magic keeps within its bounds, the divines tell us it
is not condemned in the venerable book, which is the
Christian's sure guide; but, inasmuch as the lawfulness even of natural magic has been called in question
by others, I shall, in an Appendix joined to this
treatise, examine that matter both according to the
reasons of our English laws, and according to the best
stated rules of casuistry that I am master of; still
submitting my judgment to the superior judgment
of those who are professed divines and lawyers; and
if my opinions prove erroneous I am willing to retract
them. And therefore, in this place, there remains
nothing farther for me to do, but only, as I have
shown on the one hand, how natural magic and its
powerful operations are proved by reason; to show,
on the other hand, how far reason in these cases is
likewise backed and supported by well-evidenced
practice and notorious experience; and to do this,
after having mentioned one memorable instance, which
I refer the reader to in the body of the book, concerning the performances of Mr. Greatrix, to which a
Lord Orrery was a witness in Ireland; I shall, to avoid
prolixity, bring the other testimonials of practice,
from the success which our Duncan Campbell himself has had in this way on other occasions.
[ 236 ]




THE CASE OF MR. COATES


In the year 1713, lived in Fenchurch Street one
Mr. Coates, a tobacco merchant, who had been for
many years sorely tormented in his body, and had had
recourse for a cure to all the most eminent physicians
of the age, even up to the great Dr. Radcliffe himself;
but all this mighty application for relief was still in
vain. Each doctor owned him a wonder and a mystery
to physic, and left him as much a wonder as they found
him. Neither could the professors of surgery guess
at his ailment, or resolve the riddle of his distemper;
and after having spent from first to last above a
thousand pounds in search of proper remedies, they
found the search ineffectual. The learned all agreed
that it could proceed from nothing else but witchcraft; they had now, indeed, guessed the source of
his illness, but it was an illness of such a kind that,
when they had found it out, they thought themselves
not the proper persons to prescribe to him any remedies. That task was reserved, it seems, for our Duncan
Campbell, who,upon somebody's information or other,
was sent for to the bewitched patient, Mr. Coates, who
found him the wonder that the others had left him,
but did wonders in undertaking and compassing his
cure. I remember one of the ingredients made use
of was boiling his own water, but I cannot tell how
it was used; and, upon turning over the books of
some great physician since, I have found that they
themselves have formerly delivered that as one part
of the prescriptions for the cure of patients in like
cases. But as there are other things which Mr.
Campbell performs that seem to require a mixture
of the second-sight and of this natural magic before
[ 237 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


they can be brought about, I will entertain the
reader with one or two passages of that sort likewise,
and so conclude the history of this so singular a man's
life and adventures.
In the year 1710 a gentlewoman lost about six
pounds' worth of Flanders lace, and inasmuch as it
was a present made to her husband, she was concerned as much as if it had been of twenty times the
value; and a lady of her acquaintance coming to
visit her, to whom she unfolded, among other things
in discourse, this little disaster; the lady, smiling,
replied with this question, "Did you never hear,
madam, of Mr. Duncan Campbell? It is but making
your application to him, things that are lost are
immediately found: the power of his knowledge
exceeds even the power of laws: they but restrain
and frighten, and punish robbers, but he makes
thieves expiate their guilt, by the more virtuous way
of turning restorers of the goods they have stolen."
"Madam," rejoined the losing gentlewoman, "you
smile when you tell me this, but really, as much a
trifle as it is, since 't was a present to my husband, I
can't help being sensibly concerned at it; a moment's
disappointment to him in the least thing in nature
creates in me a greater uneasiness than the greatest
disappointment to my single self could do in things
of moment and importance."   "What makes me
smile," said the lady, "( when I speak of it or think
of it, is the oddness and peculiarity of this man's
talent in helping one to such things; but without
the least jest, I assure you that I know by experience
these things come within the compass of his knowl[2 8]




AN EAGER CLIENT


edge; and I must seriously tell you, for your farther
satisfaction, that he has helped me and several of
my friends to the finding again things lost, which
were of great value."  "And is this, without laughing, true?" said the losing fair, very gravely and
demurely, like a person half believing, and desirous
to be fully confirmed in such a belief. The lady
she advised with did then ascertain her of the truth
of the matter, alleging that for a single half-guinea
he would inform her of her things, and describe the
person that conveyed them away. No sooner was
this gentlewoman convinced, but she was eager for
the trial, solicited her friend to conduct her to Mr.
Campbell; and upon the first word of consent, she
was hooded and scarfed immediately, and they
coached it away in a trice to Mr. Campbell's house,
whom they luckily found within.
The ladies had not been long seated before he
wrote down the name of this new client of his, exactly as it was, viz., Mrs. Saxon. Then she was in
good hopes, and with much confidence, propounded
to him the question about the lace. He paused but
a very little while upon the matter before he described
the person that took it, and satisfied her that in two
or three days she would be mistress of her lace again,
and find it in some book or corner of her room.
She presented him a half-guinea, and was very contentedly going away; but Mr. Campbell very kindly
stopped her, and signified to her that if she had no
more to offer to him, he had something of more importance to reveal to her. She sat full of expectation while he wrote this new matter; and the paper
[ 239 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


he delivered to her contained the following account:
" As for the loss of a little bit of lace, it is a mere
trifle; you have lost a great many hundreds of
pounds, which your aunt (naming her name) left you,
but you are bubbled out of that large sum. For
while you was artfully required downstairs, about
some pretended business or other, one Mr. H-tt-n
conveyed your aunt's will out of the desk, and several
other things of value: " and writing down the names
of all the persons concerned, which put Mrs. Saxon
in a great consternation, he concluded this paper
with bidding her go home with a contented mind;
she should find her lace in a few days, and as she
found that prediction prove true, she should afterwards come and consult about the rest.
When she came home, it seems, big at first with
the thoughts of what she had been told, she rifled
and ransacked every corner, but no lace was to be
met with. All the next day she hunted in the like
manner, but frightened the whole time, as if she
thought the devil was the only person could bring
it, but all to no purpose; the third day her curiosity
abated, she gave over the hopes of it, and took the
prediction as a vain delusion, and that what she gave
for it was only more money thrown away after what
had been lost before. That very day, as it commonly
happens in such cases, when she least dreamt of it,
she lighted on it by accident and surprise. She ran
with it in her hand immediately to her husband, and
now she had recovered it again, told him of the loss
of it, and the whole story of her having been at Mr.
Campbell's about it; and then amplifying the dis[ 240 ]




A WELCOME DISCLOSURE


course about what he had told her besides, as to more
considerable affairs, she said she resolved to go and
consult him a little farther about them, and begged
her husband to accompany her. He would fain have
laughed her out of that opinion and intent, but the
end was she persuaded him into it, and prevailed
upon him to seem at least very serious about the
matter, and go with her to the oracle, assuring him
there was no room for doubting the same success.
Well, to Mr. Campbell's they accordingly came,
and after Mr. Saxon, in deference to his wife's desire,
had paid our predictor a handsome compliment of
gold, Mr. Duncan Campbell saluted him in as grateful a manner, with the assurance that there was in
Kent a little country house with some lands appertaining to it, that was his in right of his wife; that
he had the house, as it were, before his eyes, that
though he had never substantially seen it, nor been
near the place where it stood, he had seen it figuratively, as if in exact painting and sculpture; that
particularly it had four green trees before the door,
from whence he was positive, that if Mr. Saxon went
with him in quest of it, he should find it out, and
know it as well the moment he came near it, as if he
had been an inhabitant in it all his life.
Mr. Saxon, though somewhat of an unbeliever, yet
must naturally wish to find it true, you may be sure;
and yet partly doubting the event, and partly pleased
with the visionary promise of a fortune he never expected, laughed very heartily at the oddness of the
adventure, and said, he would consider whether it
would not savour too much of Quixotism to be at the
16             [ 241 ]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


expense of a journey on such frolics, and on such a
chimerical foundation of airy hopes, and that then he
would call again and let Mr. Campbell know his
mind upon that point.
In every company he came into, it served for
laughter and diversion; they all, however, agreed 't was
worth his while, since the journey would not be very
expensive, to go it by way of frolic. His wife, one
morning, saying that she did remember some talk of
a house, and such things as Mr. Campbell had
described, put him forward upon the adventure;
and upon Mr. Saxon's proposing it to his brother
Barnard, Mr. Barnard favoured the proposal as a
joke, and agreed upon the country ramble. They
came on horseback to Mr. Campbell's, with a third
horse, on which the dumb predictor was mounted,
and so on they jogged into Kent towards Sevenoaks,
being the place which he described. The first day
they set out was on a Saturday morning in June, and
about five that afternoon they arrived at the Black
Bull at Sevenoaks in Kent. It being a delicate
evening, they took an agreeable walk up a fine hill,
gracefully adorned with woods, to an old seat of the
Earl of Dorset's. Meeting, by the way, with an old
servant of the earl's, one Perkin, he offered Mr.
Barnard, who, it seems, was his old acquaintance,
to give them all a sight of that fine ancient seat.
After they had pleased themselves with viewing
the antique nobility of that stately structure, this
Perkin went back with them to their inn, the Bull
at Sevenoaks.  They that could talk were very
merry in chat; and the dumb gentleman, who saw
[242]




SCENTING A JACOBITE


them laugh, and wear all the signs of alacrity in
their countenances, was resolved not to be behind
with their tongues, and by dint of pen, ink, and
paper, that he made signs should be brought in, was
resolved (if one might be said to crack without
noise) to crack his jest as well as the best of them;
for it may be truly said of him, that he seldom
comes into any even diverting company where he is
not the most diverting man there, and the head,
though we can't call him the mouth, of the cheerful
society. After having eyed this Perkin a little, and
being grown, by his art, as we may suppose, as
familiar with the man's humour, as if he had known
him as many years as Mr. Barnard - "Pray, Mr.
Barnard," quoth he, in writing, " how comes it you,
that are so staunch and so stiff a Whig, should be so
acquainted, and so particularly familiar with such
an old Papist, and so violent a Jacobite as I know
that Mr. Perkin, whom I never saw nor had any
notice of in my life, to be?"  " And pray," replied
Mr. Barnard, " what reason have you beyond a pun,
to take him for a Jacobite? Must he be so because
his name is Perkin? I do assure you in this, you
show yourself but little of a conjurer; if you can
tell no more of houses than you do of men, we may
give over our search after the house you spoke of"
(here the reader must understand they discoursed
on their fingers, and wrote by turns). Mr. Campbell replied, seriously, " Laying a wager is no argument in other things, I own, but in this I know it
is, because I am sure, after we have laid the wager,
he will fairly confess it among friends, since it will
[2403]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


go no farther, and I," said Mr. Campbell, "will lay
what wager you will apiece with you all round."
Hereupon Mr. Barnard, who had known him a great
many years, was the first that laid, and many more,
to the number of five or six followed his example.
The decision of the matter was deferred till next
day at the return of the old man to the inn; they
being about to break up that night, and go to bed.
The next day being Sunday, the landlord carried
his guests to see the country, and after a handsome
walk, they came through the churchyard. They were
poring upon the tombs; no delight can be greater
to Mr. Campbell than that; and really, by the frequent walks he usually takes in Westminster Abbey,
and the churchyards adjacent to this metropolis, one
would imagine he takes delight to stalk along by
himself on that dumb silent ground, where the characters of the persons are only to be known as his
own meaning is, by writings and inscriptions on
the marble. When they had sufficiently surveyed
the churchyard, it grew near dinner-time, and they
went homewards; but before they had got many
yards out of the churchyard, Mr. Campbell makes a
full stop, pointing up to a house; and stopping his
friends a little, he pulls out of his pocket a pencil
and paper, and notes down the following: — " That,
that is the house my vision presented to me, I could
swear it to be the same, I know it to be the same,
I am certain of it." The gentlemen with him remarkedit, but would not take any further notice
at that time, intending to inquire into it with
secrecy, and so went on to the inn to dinner.
[244]




JOCULAR TRAVELLERS


As merry as they had been the night before after
supper, they were still more innocently cheerful this
day after dinner till the time of service begun.
When the duty of the day was performed and over,
they returned to divert and unbend their minds with
pleasant but harmless conversation.  I suppose
nobody but a set of very great formalists will be
offended with scandal or scruples that, to travellers
just ready to depart the town, Mr. Perkin came on
that good day and decided the wagers by owning
to all the company (secrecy being first enjoined) that
he was a Roman Catholic, though nobody of the
family knew it in so many years as he had lived
there, which was before Mr. Campbell was born.
This and other innocent speeches afforded as
much cheerfulness as the Lord's Day would allow of.
On the next day, being Monday, they sent for one
Mr. Toland Toler, an attorney of the place, to find
out to whom that house belonged; but by all the
inquiry that could possibly be made with convenient
secrecy, nobody could find it out for a long time, but
at last it came to light, and appeared to be justly to
a tittle as Mr. Campbell had predicted.
Being now satisfied, the next day our three travellers returned for London; and the two vocal men
were very jocular upon their adventure, and by their
outward gesticulations gave the prophetical mute
his share of diversion. Mr. Barnard, as they passed
into a farmhouse yard, remarked that all the hogs
fell a grunting and squeaking more and more; and
as Mr. Campbell came nearer (who, poor man! could
know nothing of the jest, nor the cause of it, till
[ 45]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


they alighted and told it him by signs and writing),
said to Mr. Saxon, laughing, " Now we have found
out our house, we shall have only Mr. Campbell
home again by himself, we have no further need of
the devil that accompanied him to the country
up to town with us; there are other devils enow
to be met with there he knows, and so this, according to the fashion of his predecessor devils, is entered
into the herd of swine."
However, the event of this journey, to cut the
story short, procured Mr. Saxon a great insight,
upon inquiry, into several affairs belonging to him,
of which he would otherwise have had no knowledge;
and he is now engaged in a Chancery suit to do himself justice, and in a fair way of recovering great
sums of money, which, without the consultation he
had had with this dumb gentleman, he had in all
likelihood never dreamt of.
In the year 1711 a gentleman, whose name shall be,
in this place, Amandus, famed for his exquisite talents
in all arts and sciences, but particularly for his gentlemanlike and entertaining manner of conversation,
whose company was affected by all men of wit, who grew
his friends, and courted by all ladies of an elegant taste,
who grew his admirers; -this accomplished gentleman, I say, came to Mr. Campbell, in order to propound a question to him, which was so very intricate,
and so difficult to answer, that if he did answer it, it
might administer to himself and the ladies he brought
with him, the pleasure of admiration in seeing a thing
so wonderful in itself performed; or, on the other hand,
if he did not make a satisfactory reply to it, then it
[246]




A SECRET DISCOVERED


might afford him and the ladies a very great delight
in being the first that puzzled a man who had had
the reputation for so many years of being capable of
baffling all the wittiest devices and shrewd stratagems
that had been, from time to time, invented to baffle
his skill, and explode his penetration in the secondsight and the arts which he pretended to. The persons whom Amandus brought with him were the
illustrious Lady Delphina, distinguished for her great
quality, but still more celebrated for her beauty; his
own lady, the admired Amabella; and a young, blooming, pretty virgin, whom we will call by the name of
Adeodata, about which last lady the question was to
be put to Mr. Campbell. Adeodata, it seems, was
the natural daughter of this very fine gentleman, who
had never let her into the knowledge of her own birth,
but had bred her up from her infancy, under a borrowed name, in the notion that she was a relation's
daughter, and recommended to his care in her infancy. Now the man that had the second-sight was
to be tried. It was now to be put to the proof
whether he could tell names or no. Amandus was
so much an unbeliever as to be willing to hazard the
discovery. Amabella and Delphina were strangers
to her real name, and asked Duncan Campbell, not
doubting but he would set down that which she ordinarily went by. Amabella had indeed been told by
Amandus that Adeodata was the natural daughter
of a near friend of his; but who this near friend was
remained a secret. That was the point which lay
upon our Duncan Campbell to discover. When the
question was proposed to him what her name was, he
[247]




MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL


looked at her very steadfastly and shook his head, and
after some time he wrote down that it would be a very
difficult name for him to fix upon; and truly so it
proved: he toiled for every letter till he sweated;
and the ladies laughed incontinently, imagining that
he was in an agony of shame and confusion at finding himself posed. He desired Amandus to withdraw
a little, for that he could not so well take a full and
proper survey of ladies' faces when a gentleman was
by. This disturbance and perplexity of his afforded
them still more subject of mirth; and that excuse
was taken as a pretence and a put-off to cover his
shame the better, and hide from one at least, that he
was but a downright bungler in what he pretended
to be so wonderful an artist. However, after two
hours' hard sweat and labour, and viewing the face
in different shades and lights (for I must observe to
the reader that there is a vast deal of difference;
some he can tell in a minute or two, with ease, some
not in less than four or five hours, and that with
great trouble), he undeceived them with regard to
his capacity. He wrote down that Adeodata's real
name was Amanda, as being the natural daughter of
Amandus. Delphina and Amabella were surprised
at the discovery; and Amandus, when he was called
in, owning it a truth, his wife Amabella applauded
the curious way of her coming by such a discovery,
when Adeodata was just marriageable; took a liking
to her as if her own daughter; and everything ended
with profit, mirth, and cheerfulness.
I could add a thousand more adventures of Mr.
Campbells life, but that would prove tedious; and
[248]




CONCLUSION


as the town has made a great demand for the book
it was thought more proper to conclude it here.
The most diverting of all are to be found best to
the life in original letters that passed between Mr.
Campbell and his correspondents, some select ones
of which will be shortly published in a little pocket
volume for the further entertainment of such readers
as shall relish this treatise; in which the author hopes
he shall be esteemed to have endeavoured at the intermingling of some curious disquisitions of learning,
with entertaining passages, and to have ended all the
merriest passages with a sober, instructive, and edifying moral, which even to those who are not willing
to believe the stories, is reckoned sufficient to recommend even fables themselves.


[ 249]








APPENDIX








APPENDIX


IT is not that Mr. Duncan Campbell stands in
need of my arguments to prove that he is in
no respect liable to the Acts of Parliament
made against fortune-tellers, &c., that I undertake the writing of this appendix, the true reason
thereof being the more completely to finish this
undertaking. For having in the body of the book
itself fully proved a second-sight, and that the same
frequently happens to persons, some of them eminently remarkable for piety and learning, and have
from thence accounted for the manner of Mr. Campbell's performing those things he professes, to the
great surprise, and no less satisfaction of all the
curious who are pleased to consult him; and at
the same time proved the lawfulness of such his performances from the opinions of some of the most
learned in holy science; I thought it not improper
to add the following short appendix (being a summary of several Acts of Parliament made against
fortune-tellers, conjurers, Egyptians, sorcerers, pretenders to prophesy, &c., with some proper remarks,
suited to our present purpose), as well to satisfy
them who are fantastically wise, and obstinately
shut their eyes against the most refulgent reason,
and are wilfully deaf to the most convincing and
[ 53]




APPENDIX


persuasive arguments, and thereupon cry out that
Mr. Campbell is either an impostor and a cheat, or
at least a person who acts by the assistance of
unlawful powers; as also to put to silence the no
less waspish curs, who are always snarling at such,
whom Providence has distinguished by more excellent talents than their neighbours. True merit is
always the mark against which traducers level their
keenest darts; and wit and invention oftentimes
join hands with ignorance and malice to foil those
who excel. Art has no greater enemy than ignorance, and were there no such thing as vice, virtue
would not shine with half its lustre. Did Mr.
Campbell perform those wonderful thing! he is so
deservedly famous for, as these cavillers say, by
holding intelligence with infernal powers, or by any
unjustifiable means, I am of opinion he would find
very few in this atheistical age who would open
their mouths against him, since none love to act
counter to the interest of that master they industriously serve. And did he, on the other hand, put
the cheat upon the world, as they maliciously assert,
I fancy he would then be more generally admired,
especially in a country where the game is so universally, artfully, and no less profitably played, and
that with applause, since those pretenders to wisdom
merrily divide the whole species of mankind into
the two classes of knaves and fools, fixing the appellation of folly only upon those whom they think not
wise, that is, wicked enough to have a share with
them in the profitable guilt.
Our laws are as well intended by their wise makers
[254]




APPENDIX


to screen the innocent as to punish the guilty; and
where their penalties are remarkably severe, the
guilt they punish is of a proportionable size. Art,
which is a man's property when acquired, claims
a protection from those very laws which false pretenders thereto are to be tried and punished by, or
else all science would soon have an end; for no man
would dare make use of any talent Providence had
lent him, and his own industrious application had
improved, should he be immediately tried and condemned by those statutes which are made to suppress
villains by every conceited and half-learned pedant.
'Tis true, indeed, those excellent statutes which
are made against a sort of people who pretend to
fortune-telling, and the like, are such as are well
warranted, as being built upon the best foundation,
viz., religion and policy; and were Mr. Campbell
guilty of any such practice as those are made to
punish, I openly declare that I should be so far from
endeavouring to defend his cause that I would be
one of the first that should aggravate his crime,
thereby to enforce the speedier execution of those
laws upon him which are made against such offenders.
But when he is so far from acting that he doth not
even pretend to any such practice, or for countenancing the same in others, as is manifest from the
many detections he has made of that sort of villainy
which the book furnishes us with, I think myself
sufficiently justified for thus pleading in his defence.
I cannot but take notice, in reading the statutes
made against such offenders, our wise legislature
hath not in any part of them seemed so much as
[255]




APPENDIX


to imply that there are in reality any such wicked
persons as they are made against, to wit, conjurers,
&c., but that they are only pretenders to those
infernal arts, as may reasonably be inferred from
the nature of the penalties they inflict; for our
first laws of that sort only inflicted a penalty which
affected the goods and liberty of the guilty, and
not their lives, though indeed they were afterwards
forced to heighten the punishment with a halter;
not that they were better convinced, as I humbly
conceive, but because the criminals were most commonly persons who had no goods to forfeit, and to
whom their liberty was no otherwise valuable, but
as it gave them the opportunity of doing mischief.
Indeed, our law-books do furnish us with many
instances of persons who have been tried and executed for witchcraft and sorcery, but then the wiser
part of mankind have taken the liberty to condemn
the magistrate at that time of day of too much
inconsideration, and the juries of an equal share of
credulity. And those who have suffered for such
crimes have been commonly persons of the lowest
rank, whose poverty might occasion a dislike of
them in their fellow creatures, and their too artless
defence subject them to their mistaken justice; so
that upon the whole I take the liberty to conclude,
and I hope not without good grounds, that those
laws were made to deter men from an idle pretence
to mysterious and unjustifiable arts, which, if too
closely pursued, commonly lead them into the darkest villainy, not only that of deceiving others, but,
as far as in them lie, iaking themselves slaves to
[256]




APPENDIX


the devil; and not to prevent and hinder men from
useful inquiries, and from the practice of such arts
which, though they are in themselves mysterious,
yet are and may be lawful.
I would not, however, be thought in contradiction to my former arguments, to assert that there
never were, or that there now are, no persons such
as wizards, sorcerers, &c.; for by so doing I should
be as liable to be censured for my incredulity as
those who defame Mr. Campbell on that account
are, for their want of reason and common honesty.
Holy and profane writ, I confess, furnishes us with
many instances of such persons; but we must not
from thence hastily infer, that all those men are
such, who are spitefully branded with the odious
guilt; for were it in the devil's power to make every
wicked man a wizard, and woman a witch, he soon
would have agents enough to shake this lower world
to atoms; but the Almighty, who restrains him,
likewise restrains those.
Having premised thus much, I shall now proceed
to consider some of the Acts of Parliament themselves, the persons against whom they were made,
and the necessity of making the same; and some of
the first Acts we meet with were those which were
made against a sort of people called Egyptians; persons who, if in reality such, might, if any, be suspected of practising what we call the black art, the
same having been for many ages encouraged in their
country; nay, so much has it been by them favoured,
that it was introduced into their superstitious religion (if I may, without an absurdity, call it so),
17              [ 257 ]




APPENDIX


and made an essential part thereof; and, I believe,
Mahometanism has not much mended the matter
since it has imperiously reigned there, or in any
respect reformed that idolatrous nation. Now the
mischief these persons might do (being so much in
the devil's power), among the unwary, was thought
too considerable not to be provided against; and
therefore our wise legislature, the more effectually to
prevent the same by striking at the very foundation,
made an Act in the 22 Hen. VIII., 8, that if any,
calling themselves Egyptians, do come into this
realm, they shall forfeit all their goods; and being
demanded, shall depart the realm within fifteen days,
upon pain of imprisonment; and the importers of
them, by another Act, were made liable to heavy
penalty. This Act was continued by the 1 Phil. and
Mary; conjuration, witchcraft, enchantment and
sorcery, to get money, or consume any person in his
body, members, or goods, or to provoke any person
to unlawful love, was by the 33 Hen. VIII., 14, the
5 Eliz., 16, and the 1 Jac. I., 12, made felony; and
by the same 83 Hen. VIII., 14, it was made felony
to declare to another any false prophecies upon arms,
&c.; but this Act was repealed by the 1 Edw. VI.,
12; but by another Act of the 3 & 4 Edw. VI., 15,
it was again enacted, that all such persons who should
pretend to prophecies, &c., should, upon conviction,
for the first offence forfeit ten pounds, and one year's
imprisonment; and for the second offence all his
goods, and imprisonment for life. And by the
7 Edw. VI., 11, the same was made to continue but
till the then next session of Parliament. And by
[258]




APPENDIX


the 5 Eliz., 15, the same Act was again renewed
against fantastical prophesiers, &c.; but both those
Acts were repealed by the 1 Jac. I., 12.
Thus far we find, that for reasons of state, and for
the punishment of particular persons, those Acts were
made and repealed, as occasion required, and not
kept on foot, or indeed were they ever made use of,
as I can remember in my reading, against any persons whose studies led them into a useful inquiry into
the nature of things, or a lawful search into the
workings of nature itself, by which means many
things are foretold long before they come to pass, as
eclipses, and the like; which astrologers successfully
do, whose art has been in all ages held in so great
esteem, that the first monarchs of the east made it
their peculiar study, by which means they deservedly
acquired to themselves the name of Magi, or wise
men; but, on the contrary, were provided against
persons profligate and loose, who, under a pretence
and mask of science, commit vile and roguish cheats.
And this will the more plainly appear, if we consider
the letter and express meaning of the following Acts,
wherein the persons I am speaking of are described
by such characters, which sufficiently prove the
assertion; for in the 39 of Eliz., 4, it was enacted,
"That all persons calling themselves scholars, going
about begging, seafaring men, pretending losses of
their ships and goods at sea, and going about the
country begging, or using any subtile craft, feigning
themselves to have knowledge in physiognomy, palmistry, or any other the like crafty science, or pretending that they can tell destinies, fortunes, or such like
[259]




APPENDIX


fantastical imaginations, shall be taken and deemed
rogues, vagabonds, and sturdy beggars; and shall be
stripped naked from the middle upwards, and
whipped till his or her body be bloody." And by
the 1 Jac. I., 12, for the better restraining of the
said offences, and for the further punishing the same,
it was further enacted, "That any person or persons
using witchcraft, sorcery, &c., and all their aiders,
abettors, and counsellors, being convicted, and attainted of the same offences, shall suffer pain of death,
as felons, without the benefit of clergy; or to tell
and declare in what place any treasure of gold and
silver should or might be found in the earth, or other
secret places; or where goods or things lost or stolen
should be found or become; or to provoke any person to unlawful love; such offender to suffer imprisonment for one whole year, without bail or
mainprize, and once in every quarter of the said
year, shall in some market town, or upon the market
day, or at any such time as any fair shall be kept
there, stand openly in the pillory by the space of six
hours, and there shall openly confess his or their
offence; and for the second offence shall suffer death
as felons without the benefit of clergy."
That these laws were made against a set of villains,
whose natural antipathy to honesty and labour furnished them with pretensions to an uncommon skill,
thereby the more easily to gull and cheat the superstitiously credulous, and by that means discover from
them some such secrets that might further them in
perpetrating the more consummate villainy, is plain,
from the very words and expressions of the very Acts
[ 260 ]




APPENDIX


themselves, and the description of the persons they
are made against; and not, as I before observed, to
prevent and hinder men from the lawful inquiry after
useful, delightful, and profitable knowledge.
Mr. Campbell, who has been long a settled and
reputable inhabitant in many eminent parts of the
city of London, cannot, I am sure, be looked upon
as one of those these Acts of Parliament were made
against, unless we first strip the Acts themselves of
their own natural, express, and plain meaning, and
clothe them with that which is more obscure, unnatural, forced, and constrained; a practice which,
if allowed, would make them wound the innocent
and clear the guilty, and render them not our defence, but our greatest evil. They would, by that
means, become a perfect enigma, and be so far from
being admired for their plainness, that they would
be even exploded, like the oracles of the heathen, for
their double meaning.
If Mr. Campbell has the second-sight, as is unquestionable from the allowed maxim, that what has
been may be again, and by that means can take a
view of contingencies and future events; so long as
he confines these notices of approaching occurrences
to a good purpose, and makes use of them only innocently and charitably to warn persons from doing
such things that, according to his conceptions,
would lead them into misfortune, or else in putting
them upon such arts that may be of use and benefit
to themselves and posterity, always having a strict
regard to morality and religion, to which he truly
adheres: certainly, I think he ought so much the
[ 261 ]




APPENDIX


more to be admired for the same, by how much the
more this his excellent knowledge is surpassing that
of other men, and not be therefore unjustly upbraided
with the injurious character of a cheat, or an ill man.
However, this I will presume to affirm, and I doubt
not but to have my opinion confirmed by the learned
sages of the law, that this his innocent practice, and
I venture to add honest one too, doth by no means
entitle him to the penalties of the before-mentioned
laws made against fortune-tellers, and such sort of
profligate wretches; which it is as great an absurdity
to decry as it would be to call him, who is a settled
and reputable inhabitant, a stroller, or wandering
beggar.
Again, it is true that Mr. Campbell has relieved
many that have been supposed to have been bewitched, as is related and well attested in the book
of his life; but will any one from thence argue that
he himself is a real conjurer or wizard, because he
breaks the chains by which those unhappy wretches
were bound? No, surely, for if that were the case,
we might then as well indict the physician who drives
away a malignant distemper, and roots out its latent
cause by his mysterious skill in plants and drugs; or
conclude that the judge who condemns a criminal is,
for the same reason, guilty of the self-same crime for
which the offender is so by him condemned. Persons
who delight in such unnatural conclusions must certainly be in love with the greatest absurdities, and must
entirely abandon their natural reason, before they can
be brought to conclude that the prince of darkness
would assist men in destroying his own power.
[ 262 ]




APPENDIX


The best answer I can afford those men is silence;
for if they will not argue upon the principles of
reason, or be guided by her dictates, I think them
no more fit to be contended with in a rational and
decent manner than bedlamites, and such who are
bereft of all understanding. A rod is the best argument for the back of a fool, and contempt the best
usage that ought to be shown to every headstrong
and ignorant opponent.
In a word, I know of no branch of Mr. Campbell's
practice that bears the least resemblance to those
crimes mentioned in the foregoing Acts. That he
can and doth tell people's names at first sight, though
perfect strangers to him, is confessed by all who have
made the curious inquiry at his hands; but what
part of the Acts, I would fain know, is that against?
Knowledge, and a clear sight into things not common, is not only an allowable, but a commendable
qualification; and whether this knowledge in him be
inherent, accidental, or the result of a long study,
the case is still the same, since we are assured he
doth it by no unlawful intelligence, or makes use
of the same to any ill purpose, and therefore is
undoubtedly as lawful as to draw natural conclusions from right premises. Hard is the fate of
any man to be ignorant, but much harder would
his lot be, if he were to be punished for being
wise, and, like Mr. Campbell, excelling others in
this kind of knowledge.
Much more might be said in defence of Mr. Campbell and the art he professeth, but as the arguments
which are brought against him by his enemies, on
[263]




APPENDIX


the one hand, are trivial and ill-grounded, I therefore think they deserve no farther refutation; so, on
the other, his innocency is too clear to require it.
After having thus taken a survey of Mr. Campbell's acts, with regard to their legality according to
the statutes and the laws of the nation wherein he
lives, we will consider next, whether, according to
the stated rules of casuistry among the great divines
eminent for their authority, it may be lawful for Mr.
Campbell to predict, or for good Christian persons
to visit his house, and consult him about his predictions. I have, upon this head, examined all the
learnedest casuists I could meet with in ancient
times; for I cannot meet, in my reading, with any
moderns that treat thoroughly upon this case, or I
should rather have chosen them, because, perhaps,
the second-sight was less known in those ancient days
than it has been since, and so might escape their
notice.
My design is first to give the reader a distinct summary of all that has been said of this matter, and to
do it as succinctly and briefly as possible, and then
to argue myself, from what they agree upon, as to
this man's particular case.
That the reader may have recourse to the authors
themselves, if they have a curiosity, and find that I
don't go about to impose upon their judgments, I will
here tell the reader where he may find the whole contents of the following little abstract of divinity and
casuistry, because it would be a tedious piece of work
to set down the words of each of them distinctly, and
quote them every one round at the end of their several
[264]




APPENDIX


different sentences, which tend to the same meaning,
but I will strictly keep to the sense of them all; and
I here give the reader their names, and the places, that
he may consult them himself if his inclination leads
him to be so curious: Thomas Aquinas, 4, Distin.
34, quaestio. 1, art. 3, Bona, 2, Dist. 7, art. 2, quaest.
1; Joannes Major, 4, Dist. 34, quaest. 2; Sylvester,
"Verbo Malefic.," quaest. 8; Rosella, "Verb. Impedimentum," 15, cap. 18; Tabiena, "Verb. Imped." 12
vers.; Cajetan, tom. 2, opusc. 12, "De Malefic.;"
Alphonsus, a Cast. lib. 10, "De Justa Haereticorum
punitione," cap. 15; Cosmus Philiarchus, "De Offic.
Sacerdot.," p. 2, 1. 3, cap. ii.; Toletus, in "Summa,"
lib. 4, cap. 16; Spineus, in "Tract. de Strigibus;"
Petrus Binsfield, in "Tract. de Confessionibus Maleficorum."
These divines have generally written upon impious
arts of magic, which they call by the name of divination; and this divination (as they term it) they divide
into two kinds, the one in which the devil is expressly
invoked to teach hidden and occult things, the other,
in which he is tacitly called upon to do the same. An
express invocation is by word or deed, by which a real
pact is actually made with the devil; and that is a
sin that affects the death of the soul, according to
the laws of theology, and ought to affect the death
of the body, according to civil and political laws.
The tacit invocation of demons is then only, when a
man busies himself so far with such persons, that it
is meet and just that the devil should be permitted
to have to do with him, though it was opposite to
the intention of the man.
[265]




APPENDIX


But then this express invocation again is subdivided
into several species, according to the diverse manners
by which the devil instructs these men.
The first is enchantment, which I need not describe,
and of which I will speak no more, because it is what
everybody knows to be detestable, and nobody ought
to know the art thereof.
The second is divination by dreams, when any instructions are expected from the devil by way of
dream, which is a capital crime.
The third is called necromancy, which is, when by
the use of blood and writing, or speaking certain
verses, the dead seem to rise again, and speak and
teach future things. For though the devil cannot
recall a soul departed, yet he can (as some have
thought) take the shape of the dead corpse, himself
actuate it by his subtlety, as if it was informed with
a soul. And some affirm, that by the divine permission the devil can do this, and spake so in the
case of Samuel and Saul. But divines of a more
solid genius attribute that power only to the Deity,
and say, with reason, that it is beyond the devirs
capacity. But it is certain this was a divination
done in dead animals by the use of their blood, and
therefore the word is derived from the Greek veixp8V,
which signifies dead, and Mavrj'a, which signifies
divination.
The fourth species is called divination by the
Pythians, which was ta ken from Apollo, the first
diviner, as Thomas Aquinas says in his ";Secund&
secundw," qu. 95, artic. 3.
The fifth is called geomancy, which is when the
[ 266 ]




APPENDIX


devil teaches anything by certain signs appearing in
the earthly bodies, as in wood, iron, or polished
stones, beryls, or glass.
The sixth is named hydromancy, as when a demon
teaches anything by appearances in the water.
The seventh is styled aeromancy; and it is when
he informs people of such things by figures in the
air.
The eighth is intituled pyromancy; that is, when
it instructs people by forms appearing in the fire.
The ninth is termed aruspicy; which is, when by
signs appearing in the bowels of sacrificed animals
the demon predicts at altars.
Thus far as to express divination or invocation of
the devil, which is detestable, and the very consulting of persons that use such unlawful means, is, according to the judgment of all casuists, the high
road to eternal damnation.
Now as to tacit divination or invocation of the
devil, that is divided into two subaltern kinds.
The first kind is, when, for the sake of knowing hidden things, they make use of a vain and superstitious
disposition existing in things to judge from; which
disposition is not of a sufficient virtue to lead them
to any real judgment. The second kind of tacit
divination is, when that knowledge is sought by the
disposition of those things, which men effect on
purpose and of their own accord, in order to come
by and acquire that knowledge.
Both these kinds of tacit divination are again subdivided into several species, as are particularly mentioned by St. Thomas, "Secunda secundae," quast.
[267]




APPENDIX


95, artic. 8; Gregory de Valentine, tom. 8, disput.
6, quaest. 12, puncto 2; Toletus, in "Summa," lib.
4, cap. 15, and Michael Medina, lib. 2, "De recta in
Deum fide: post sanctum Augustinum," lib. 2, "De
Doct. Christ.," cap. 19, et sequen.
The first of these kinds of tacit divination contains under it the following several species.
The first species is called genethliacal, which is
when, from the movement or situation of the stars,
men's nativities are calculated and inquired into so
far, as that from such a search, they pretend to
deduce the knowledge of human effects, and the contingent events that are to attend them. This Thomas
Aquinas and Sixtus Quintus condemn; but I shall,
with humility and submission to greater judgments,
inquire hereafter into their reasons, and give my
opinion why I think this no evil art; but I submit my
opinion, if, after it is given, it is thought erroneous.
The second is augury, when anything is predicted
from the chattering of birds, or the voice of animals, and this may be either lawful or unlawful. If
it comes from natural instinct (for brutes, having
only a sensitive soul, have their organs subject to
the disposition of the greater bodies in which they
are contained, and principally of all to the celestial
bodies) his augury is not amiss. For if when crows
are remarked to caw (as the vulgar phrase is) more
than ordinary, it is, judging according to the instinct
of their nature, if we expect rain, and we may reasonably depend upon it we shall be right if we foretell
rain to be at hand. But sometimes the devils actuate
those brute animals to excite vain ideas in men, con[ 268 ]




APPENDIX


trary to what the instinct of their nature compels
them to. This is superstitious and unlawful, and
forbid in holy writ.
The third is aruspicy, when, from the flight of
birds or any other motion of any animals whatsoever,
persons pretend to have an insight and a penetrative
knowledge into occult and hidden matters.
The fourth consists in omens, when, for example,
a man, from any words which others may have spoken
on purpose or by accident, pretends to gather a way
of looking into and knowing anything of futurity.
The fifth is chiromancy, which consists in making
a pretence to the knowledge of future things by the
figures and the lines of the hands: and if it be by consulting the shoulder-bones of any beast, it goes by
the name of spatulamancy.
As the first kind of divination, by a tacit invocation of the devil, is divided into five species above
mentioned; so also is the second kind of tacit divination, or invocation of the devil, divided into two
species by St. Thomas of Aquin, " Secunda se undae,
quaestione nonagesima quinta articulo ter.o," and
too tedious to insert here.
Now all these ways are by these divines counted
wicked, and I set them down that people may avoid
them. For how many gipsies and pretenders to
chiromancy have we in London and in the country?
How many that are for hydromancy, that pretend
in water to show men mighty mysteries? And how
many in geomancy, with their beryls and their
glasses, that, if they are not under the instigation of
the devil, propagate the scandal at least by being
[269]




APiPENDIX


cheats, and who ought to be punished to the utmost severity, as our English laws enact? Mr.
Campbell, who hates, contemns, and abhors these
ways, ought, methinks, to be encouraged by their
being restrained; and people of curious tempers,
who always receive from him moral and good instructions, which make them happy in the conduct
of life, should be animated in a public manner to
consult him, in order to divert the curious itch of
their humours from consulting such wicked impostors
or diabolical practisers, as too frequently abound in
this nation, by reason of the inquisitive vulgar, who
are more numerous in our climate than any I ever
read of.
But now to argue the case of conscience with regard to his particular practice by way of the secondsight, whether in foro conscientice, it is lawful for
him to follow it, or others to consult him? The
divines above-mentioned having never had any
notice of that faculty, in all likelihood, or if they
had, never mentioning it, makes it a point more
difficult for me to discuss; but I think they have
stated some cases, by the making of which my
premises, I can deduce from all the learned men I
have above quoted a conclusion in favour of our Mr.
Duncan Campbell, and of those who consult him;
but my opinion shall be always corrected by those
who are wiser than myself, and to whom I owe
entire submission. I take leave to fix these premises
from them first, and to form my argument from
them afterwards in the following manner.
First, it is allowed by all these divines, that a
[ 70]




APPENDIX


knowledge which one may have of future things
within the order of nature is, and may be lawful.
Secondly, they imply that where justice is not violated, it is lawful both to predict and to consult.
Thirdly, many of them, but particularly Aureolus,
put this question: - " Is it lawful to go to one that
deals in the black art, to persuade them to cure any
innocent body that another necromancer or dealer in
the black art may have maliciously afflicted and tormented with pains?" And some of these casuists,
particularly Aureolus, say, it is lawful on such occasion to go to such a conjurer, because the end is not
conjuration, but freeing a person from it.
But I take leave to dissent from these great men,
and think they are in a double mistake; first, in stating the question, and then in making such an answer,
provided the question had been stated right.
The question is founded upon this supposition
(which is passed by as granted), viz., that one necromancer could release a person bewitched by another,
which is absolutely false; for it is against the nature
of the devil to be made an instrument to undo his
own works of impiety. But admitting and not
granting this to be possible, and the question to be
rightly stated, why, still these casuists are out in
their answer. "It is lawful," reply they, " because
the end of going to the conjurers is not conjuration,
but freeing a good person from it." But the end is
not the point here to be considered, it is the medium
which is bad that is to be considered. It is by conjuration (according to their hypothesis) the other
conjuration is to be dissolved; and does not the
[ 271 ]




APPENDIX


common rule, that a man must not do evil that good
may come of it, forbid this practice? And to speak
my opinion plainly in that case, the friend that
should consult a conjurer for that end would be only
so kind to put his own soul in danger of being guilty
of hell-torments to relieve his afflicted friend from
some bodily pains, which 't would be a virtue in him
to suffer with patience and resignation.
Others, almost all divines indeed, agree, that it is
and may be lawful to go to a conjurer that torments
another, and give him money not to afflict the patient
any longer; because that's only feeing him to desist
from acting after his conjuring manner.
These premises thus settled, if we allow the secondsight to be inborn and inbred, and natural and
common to some families, which is proved in the
book; and if all that Mr. Campbell has predicted in
that second-sighted way terminates with moral advice, and the profit of the consulter, and without the
violation of justice to others, as the book shows all
throughout; if he can relieve from witchcraft, as it
seems oath is to be had he can, which no one that
deals in black art can do, why then I need not draw
the conclusion; every reader will do it naturally;
they will avow all the stricter laws of casuistry and
morality to be in favour of Mr. Campbell and his
consulters.


[ 272]




A REMARKABLE PASSAGE OF
AN APPARITION








A REMARKABLE PASSAGE
of AN APPARITION
RELATED BY THE REV. DR. RUDDLE, OF
LAUNCESTON IN CORNWALL,
IN THE YEAR 1665
IN the beginning of this year, a disease happened
in this town of Launceston, and some of my
scholars died of it. Among others who fell
under the malignity then triumphing, was
John Elliot, the eldest son of Edward Elliot of Treherse, Esq., a stripling of about sixteen years of age,
but of more than common parts and ingenuity. At
his own particular request, I preached at the funeral,
which happened on the 20th day of June 1665. In
my discourse (ut mos reique locique postulabat), I
spoke some words in commendation of the young
gentleman; such as might endear his memory to
those that knew him, and, withal, tended to preserve
his example to the fry which went to school with
him, and were to continue there after him. An
ancient gentleman, who was then in the church, was
much affected with the discourse, and was often heard
to repeat, the same evening, an expression I then
used out of Virgil: -
"Et puer ipse fuit cantari dignus."
The reason why this grave gentleman was so concerned at the character, was a reflection he made
[275]




A REMARKABLE PASSAGE


upon a son of his own, who being about the same
age, and, but a few months before, not unworthy of
the like character I gave of the young Mr. Elliot,
was now, by a strange accident, quite lost as to his
parent's hopes and all expectation of any further
comfort by him.
The funeral rites being over, I was no sooner
come out of the church, but I found myself most
courteously accosted by this old gentleman; and
with an unusual importunity, almost forced against
my humour to see his house that night; nor could I
have rescued myself from his kindness, had not Mr.
Elliot interposed and pleaded title to me for the
whole of the day, which, as he said, he would resign
to no man. Hereupon I got loose for that time, but
was constrained to leave a promise behind me to wait
upon him at his own house the Monday following.
This then seemed to satisfy, but before Monday
came I had a new message to request me that, if it
were possible, I would be there on the Sunday.
The second attempt I resisted, by answering that it
was against my convenience, and the duty which
mine own people expected from me. Yet was not
the gentleman at rest, for he sent me another letter
on the Sunday, by no means to fail on the Monday,
and so to order my business as to spend with him
two or three days at least. I was indeed startled at
so much eagerness, and so many dunnings for a visit,
without any business; and began to suspect that
there must needs be some design in the bottom of all
this excess of courtesy. For I had no familiarity,
scarce common acquaintance with the gentleman or
[ 276 ]




OF AN APPARITION


his family; nor could I imagine whence should arise
such a flush of friendship on the sudden.
On the Monday I went, and paid my promised
devoir, and met with entertainment as free and
plentiful as the invitation was importunate. There
also I found a neighbouring minister who pretended
to call in accidentally, but by the sequel I suppose
it otherwise. After dinner this brother of the coat
undertook to show me the gardens, where, as we
were walking, he gave me the first discovery of what
was mainly intended in all this treat and compliment.
First he began to tell the infortunity of the family
in general, and then gave an instance in the youngest
son. He related what a hopeful, sprightly lad he
lately was, and how melancholic and sottish he was
now grown. Then did he with much passion lament,
that his ill-humour should so incredibly subdue his
reason; for, says he, the poor boy believes himself to
be haunted with ghosts, and is confident that he meets
with an evil spirit in a certain field about half a mile
from this place, as often as he goes that way to school.
In the midst of our twaddle, the old gentleman and
his lady (as observing their cue exactly) came up to us.
Upon their approach, and pointing me to the arbour,
the parson renews the relation to me; and they (the
parents of the youth) confirmed what he said, and
added many minute circumstances, in a long narrative of the whole. In fine, they all three desired my
thoughts and advice in the affair.
I was not able to collect thoughts enough on the
sudden to frame a judgment upon what they had said,
only I answered, that the thing which the youth re[ 77]




A REMARKABLE PASSAGE


ported to them was strange, yet not incredible, and
that I knew not then what to think or say of it; but
if the lad would be free to me in talk, and trust me
with his counsels, I had hopes to give them a better
account of my opinion the next day.
I had no sooner spoken so much, but I perceived
myself in the springe their courtship had laid for me;
for the old lady was not able to hide her impatience,
but her son must be called immediately. This I was
forced to comply with and consent to, so that drawing off from the company to an orchard near by, she
went herself and brought him to me, and left him
with me.
It was the main drift of all these three to persuade
me that either the boy was lazy, and glad of any excuse to keep from the school, or that he was in love
with some wench and ashamed to confess it; or that
he had a fetch upon his father to get money and new
clothes, that he might range to London after a brother
he had there; and therefore they begged of me to
discover the root of the matter, and accordingly to
dissuade, advise, or reprove him, but chiefly, by all
means, to undeceive him as to the fancy of ghosts
and spirits.
I soon entered into a close conference with the
youth, and at first was very cautious not to displease
him, but by smooth words to ingratiate myself and
get within him, for I doubted he would be too distrustful or too reserved. But we had scarcely passed
the first situation, and begun to speak to the business,
before I found that there needed no policy to screw
myself into his breast; for he most openly, and with
[278]




OF AN APPARITION


all obliging candour did aver, that he loved his book,
and desired nothing more than to be bred a scholar;
that he had not the least respect for any of womankind, as his mother gave out; and that the only
request he would make to his parents was, that they
would but believe his constant assertions concerning
the woman he was disturbed with, in the field called
the Higher-Broom Quartils. He told me with all
naked freedom, and a flood of tears, that his friends
were unkind and unjust to him, neither to believe nor
pity him; and that if any man (making a bow to me)
would but go with him to the place, he might be convinced that the thing was real, &c.
By this time he found me apt to compassionate his
condition, and to be attentive to his relation of it, and
therefore he went on in this way: -
"This woman which appears to me," saith he,
"lived a neighbour here to my father, and died
about eight years since; her name, Dorothy Dingley, of such a stature, such age, and such complexion.
She never speaks to me, but passeth by hastily, and
always leaves the footpath to me, and she commonly
meets me twice or three times in the breadth of the
field.
"It was about two months before I took any
notice of it, and though the shape of the face was in
my memory, yet I did not recall the name of the
person, but without more thoughtfulness, I did suppose it was some woman who lived thereabout,
and had frequent occasion that way. Nor did I
imagine anything to the contrary before she began
to meet me constantly, morning and evening, and
[279]




A REMARKABLE PASSAGE


always in the same field, and sometimes twice or
thrice in the breadth of it.
"The first time I took notice of her was about a
year since, and when I first began to suspect and
believe it to be a ghost, I had courage enough not to
be afraid, but kept it to myself a good while, and
only wondered very much about it. I did often
speak to it, but never had a word in answer. Then
I changed my way, and went to school the Under
Horse Road, and then she always met me in the
narrow lane, between the Quarry Park and the Nursery, which was worse.
"At length I began to be terrified at it, and
prayed continually that God would either free me
from it or let me know the meaning of it. Night
and day, sleeping and waking, the shape was ever
running in my mind, and I often did repeat these
places of Scripture (with that he takes a small Bible
out of his pocket), Job vii. 14: 'Thou scarest me
with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions.'
And Deuteronomy xxviii. 67: 'In the morning,
thou shalt say, Would God it were even; and at
even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning;
for the fear of thine heart, wherewith thou shalt
fear, and for the sight of thine eyes, which thou
shalt see."'
I was very much pleased with the lad's ingenuity
in the application of these pertinent Scriptures to
his condition, and desired him to proceed.
"When," says he, " by degrees, I grew very pensive, inasmuch that it was taken notice of by all our
family; whereupon, being urged to it, I told my
[280]




OF AN APPARITION


brother William of it, and he privately acquainted
my father and mother, and they kept it to themselves for some time.
" The success of this discovery was only this;
they did sometimes laugh at me, sometimes chide
me, but still commanded me to keep to my school,
and put such fopperies out of my head. I did accordingly go to school often, but always met the
woman in the way."
This, and much more to the same purpose, yea, as
much as held a dialogue of near two hours, was our
conference in the orchard, which ended with my
proffer to him, that, without making any privy
to our intents, I would next morning walk with him
to the place, about six o'clock. He was even transported with joy at the mention of it, and replied -
"But will you, sure, sir? Will you, sure, sir?
Thank God! Now I hope I shall be relieved."
From this conclusion we retired into the house.
The gentleman, his wife, and Mr. Sam were impatient to know the event, insomuch that they came
out of the parlour into the hall to meet us; and seeing the lad look cheerfully, the first compliment
from the old man was, " Come, Mr. Ruddle, you
have talked with him; I hope now he will have
more wit. An idle boy! an idle boy! " At these
words, the lad ran up the stairs to his own chamber,
without replying, and I soon stopped the curiosity
of the three expectants by telling them I had promised silence, and was resolved to be as good as my
word; but when things were riper they might know
all. At present, I desired them to rest in my faithful
[281]




A REMARKABLE PASSAGE


promise, that I would do my utmost in their service,
and for the good of their son. With this they were
silenced; I cannot say satisfied.
The next morning before five o'clock, the lad was
in my chamber, and very brisk. I arose and went
with him. The field he led me to I guessed to be
twenty acres, in an open country, and about three
furlongs from any house. We went into the field,
and had not gone above a third part, before the
spectrum, in the shape of a woman, with all the circumstances he had described her to me in the orchard
the day before (as much as the suddenness of its
appearance and evanition would permit me to discover), met us and passed by. I was a little surprised at it, and though I had taken up a firm
resolution to speak to it, yet I had not the power,
nor indeed durst I look back; yet I took care not to
show any fear to my pupil and guide, and therefore
only telling him that I was satisfied in the truth of
his complaint, we walked to the end of the field and
returned, nor did the ghost meet us that time above
once. I perceived in the young man a kind of boldness, mixed with astonishment; the first caused by
my presence, and the proof he had given of his
own relation, and the other by the sight of his
persecutor.
In short, we went home: I somewhat puzzled, he
much animated. At our return, the gentlewoman,
whose inquisitiveness had missed us, watched to
speak with me. I gave her a convenience, and told
her that my opinion was that her son's complaint
was not to be slighted, nor altogether discredited;
[282]




OF AN APPARITION
yet, that my judgment in his case was not settled.
I gave her caution, moreover, that the thing might
not take wind, lest the whole country should ring
with what we had yet no assurance of.
In this juncture of time I had business which
would admit no delay; wherefore I went for Launceston that evening, but promised to see them again
next week. Yet I was prevented by an occasion
which pleaded a sufficient excuse; for my wife was
that week brought home from a neighbour's house
very ill. However, my mind was upon the adventure. I studied the case, and about three weeks
after went again, resolving, by the help of God, to
see the utmost.
The next morning being the 27th day of July
1665, I went to the haunted field by myself, and
walked the breadth of the field without any encounter.
I returned and took the other walk, and then the
spectrum appeared to me, much about the same
place where I saw it before, when the young gentleman was with me. In my thoughts, it moved swifter
than the time before, and about ten feet distance
from me on my right hand, insomuch that I had not
time to speak, as I had determined with myself
beforehand.
The evening of this day, the parents, the son, and
myself, being in the chamber where I lay, I propounded to them our going all together to the place
next morning, and after some asseveration that
there was no danger in it, we all resolved upon it.
The morning being come, lest we should alarm the
family of servants, they went under the pretence of
[283]




A REMARKABLE PASSAGE


seeing a field of wheat, and I took my horse and
fetched a compass another way, and so met at the
stile we had appointed.
Thence we all four walked leisurely into the
Quartils, and had passed above half the field before the ghost made appearance. It then came over
the stile just before us, and moved with that swiftness that by the time we had gone six or seven steps
it passed by. I immediately turned head and ran
after it, with the young man by my side; we saw it
pass over the stile by which we entered, but no
farther. I stepped upon the hedge at one place, he
at another, but could discern nothing; whereas, I
dare aver, that the swiftest horse in England could
not have conveyed himself out of sight in that short
space of time. Two things I observed in this day's
appearance. 1. That a spaniel dog, who followed
the company unregarded, did bark and run away, as
the spectrum passed by; whence it is easy to conclude that it was not our fear or fancy which made
the apparition. 2. That the motion of the spectrum
was not gradation, or by steps, and moving of the
feet, but a kind of gliding, as children upon the ice,
or a boat down a swift river, which punctually
answers the descriptions the ancients gave of their
Lemures, which was KaTr pvtrWo a eptov ucat op'p'v
ai7ra7roS&oov (Heliodorus).
But to proceed. This ocular evidence clearly
convinced, but, withal, strangely frightened the old
gentleman and his wife, who knew this Dorothy
Dingley in her lifetime, were at her burial, and now
plainly saw her features in this present apparition.
[284j




OF AN APPARITION


I encouraged them as well as I could, but after this
they went no more. However, I was resolved to
proceed, and use such lawful means as God hath discovered, and learned men have successfully practised
in these irregular cases.
The next morning being Thursday, I went out
very early by myself, and walked for about an hour's
space in meditation and prayer in the field next
adjoining to the Quartils. Soon after five I stepped
over the stile into the disturbed field, and had not
gone above thirty or forty paces before the ghost
appeared at the farther stile. I spoke to it with a
loud voice, in some such sentences as the way of these
dealings directed me; whereupon it approached, but
slowly, and when I came near, it moved not. I
spake again, and it answered, in a voice neither very
audible nor intelligible. I was not in the least terrified, and therefore persisted until it spake again, and
gave me satisfaction. But the work could not be
finished at this time; wherefore the same evening,
an hour after sunset, it met me again near the same
place, and after a few words on each side, it quietly
vanished, and neither doth appear since, nor ever
will more to any man's disturbance. The discourse
in the morning lasted about a quarter of an
hour.
These things are true, and I know them to be so,
with as much [certainty as eyes and ears can give
me; and until I can be persuaded that my senses
do deceive me about their proper object, and by
that persuasion deprive myself of the strongest inducement to believe the Christian religion, I must
[285]




A REMARKABLE PASSAGE


and will assert that these things in this paper are
true.
As for the manner of my proceeding, I find no
reason to be ashamed of it, for I can justify it to
men of good principles, discretion, and recondite
learning, though in this case I choose to content myself in the assurance of the thing, rather than be at
the unprofitable trouble to persuade others to believe
it; for I know full well with what difficulty relations
of so uncommon a nature and practice obtain belief.
He that tells such a story may expect to be dealt
withal as a traveller in Poland by the robbers, viz.,
first murdered and then searched, - first condemned
for a liar, or superstitious, and then, when it is too
late, have his reasons and proofs examined. This
incredulity may be attributed -
1. To the infinite abuses of the people, and impositions upon their faith by the cunning monks and
friars, &c., in the days of darkness and popery; for
they made apparitions as often as they pleased, and
got both money and credit by quieting the terriculamenta vulgi, which their own artifice had raised.
2. To the prevailing of Somatism and the Hobbean principle in these times, which is a revival of
the doctrine of the Sadducees; and as it denies the
nature, so it cannot consist with the apparition of
spirits; of which, see "' Leviathan," p. 1, c. 12.
S. To the ignorance of men in our age, in this
peculiar and mysterious part of philosophy and of
religion, namely, the communication between spirits
and men. Not one scholar in ten thousand (though
otherwise of excellent learning) knows anything of it
[ 286]




OF AN APPARITION


or the way how to manage it. This ignorance breeds
fear and abhorrence of that which otherwise might
be of incomparable benefit to mankind.
But I being a clergyman and young, and a stranger
in these parts, do apprehend silence and secrecy to
be my best security.
" In rebus abstrusissimis abundans cautela non nocet."
Sept. 4,1665.
POSTSCRIPT
It is possible that the unacquaintedness of some
men with Church history and the writings of the
ancient fathers may be one cause of their prejudice
against things and narratives of this nature. I could
cite out of them hundreds of passages in confirmation (a par) of what I have now done and written.
But a single testimony shall serve to fill up this
page.
St. Cyprian was a father of the third century,
contemporary with Origen, Tertullian, Lactantius,
Clemens of Alexandria, and other learned men.
Observe his words (S. Cypriani Epist. ad Demetrium
Ethnicum, p. 328): -
"Si audire velles et videre quando spiritus mali a
nobis adjurantur et torquentur spiritualibus flagris;
quando daemones ejulantes et gementes humana voce
venturumjudicium confitentur; videbis nos rogari ab
iis quos tu rogas, et tamen ab iis quos tu adoras;
videbis sub manu nostri stare vinctos et tremere
captivos, quos tu veneraris ut dominos. Certe vel sic
in erroribus tuis confundi poteris, cum conspexeris et
[ 287]




A PASSAGE OF AN APPARITION


audieris deos tuos quid sint, nostra interrogatione.
statim prodere," &c. 1
See Pamelius, "Notes on Tertullian," n. 64.
1 " If you would hear and see when evil spirits are by us
adjured and put to spiritual torture; when the very devils,
groaning and lamenting with a human voice, confess a future
judgment; you shall hear us intreated by those whom you
intreat, and by those whom you adore: you shall see those
stand fettered, as it were, under our hands, and tremble like
captive slaves, whom you worship as deities. Certainly you
must be thus confounded in your errors when you shall see and
hear your gods, upon questions we put to them, immediately
betray what they are."


[28]s




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR, THE
GENEROUS APPARITION
19








The FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
THE GENEROUS APPARITION
To my anonymous worthy Friend, Physician, and
Philosopher, whose name, for certain reasons, I
forbear to mention.
IR, —I cannot, without great ingratitude,
forget the friendly visits, and kind advice,
I frequently received from you, during not
only a dangerous but tedious indisposition,
which surprisingly seized me in the year 1717, and,
notwithstanding your extraordinary care, as well as
unquestionable judgment, continued on me till the
latter end of the year 1725; in which long interval
of time, the attendance you gave, and the trouble
you gave yourself, abstracted from all interest, made
you truly sensible of my unhappy condition, and
myself equally apprehensive of the great obligations
I shall ever be under to so sincere a friend.
The first occasion of my illness, as I have good
reason to imagine, was a very shocking surprise,
given me by certain persons, who pretended to be
my friends in a considerable affair then depending,
wherein their treachery threatened me with succeeding ruin, had not Providence interposed, and delivered the oppressed from the cruel hands of such
deceitful enemies. Upon whose hard usage, and the
news of my disappointment, I was struck, at first,
[291 ]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
with a kind of epilepsy, and deprived of all my senses
in an instant, dropped down in the public coffeehouse, under violent agitations, which, it seems, are
generally concomitant with this miserable distemper;
but being luckily assisted, and kindly supported by
some gentlemen present, I happened to escape those
ill consequences that might, otherwise, have attended
me, during the extremity of my convulsions, which
were reported, by those that held me, to be so strong,
as to be almost insupportable, till the paroxysm
declined, which terminated in a cold sweat, trembling,
and weeping, and this was the first attack that ever
this terrible assailant made upon me; though afterwards he forced himself into a further familiarity
with me (much against my will). Nor could your
kind endeavours, by the art of physic, backed with
my own strength of constitution, fright away this
evil companion from me, till my good genius, by the
direction of Providence, communicated a particular
secret to me, which, with God's blessing, has lately
proved my deliverance, in what manner, before I
conclude, I shall very freely acquaint you, in hopes
you will favour me with your candid opinion in
answer thereunto.
Near eight years was a long time to continue under
the frequent returns, and uncomfortable dread of such
a shocking affliction, which, upon every little disorder
of mind, or disappointment in business, never failed
to visit me; till, by convulsive, or other involuntary
motions in my head, and other parts of my body,
my eyes were buried in their sockets; my other
features contracted; my bowels sometimes racked
[ 292]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


with intolerable pains, and all the faculties of my
mind so greatly weakened and impaired, that I, who,
for many years before, had been esteemed as an
oracle by the most polite and curious part of both
sexes, was now, for want of strength of mind, and
ability of body to employ my talent, and exercise
my art, as usual, treated like an old soldier, who had
lost his limbs in the service of his country, and
thought only worthy, by way of requital, to be made
a hobbling pensioner in some starving hospital.
But, I thank my stars, it proved not quite so bad
with me, for though some ladies were too hasty and
importunate to bear with the least disappointment,
or admit of any delay, without showing their resentment, or refusing to trust their money till my convulsions afforded me a rational interval, wherein I
might be able to give them ample satisfaction; yet
others, of a more considerate, easy, and compassionate
temper, were so highly concerned for my too apparent
indisposition, that, in order to drive out this tormenting demon that possessed me, they brought me
all the old recipes they could muster up among their
crazy aunts and grandmothers, practised upon all
occasions in their several families, perhaps ever since
the time of Galen and Hippocrates. But, having
been long under the care and friendship of so able a
physician as yourself, though to little or no purpose,
I could not put faith enough in old women's medicines to receive benefit thereby; so, under a kind of
despondency of everything but Providence, I suffered
my distemper to take its own course, till my fits increased upon me to at least twenty in a day, and by
[293]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
their frequent reiterations, brought, at length, such
a dimness upon my sight, such a weakness in my
joints, and tremor upon my nerves, that rendered
me incapable of all manner of business, especially
that which I had so long professed, and successfully
performed, to the full satisfaction and great astonishment of thousands; but being now unable to
write, and, for want of speech, having no other way
of communicating my answers to the demands of the
ladies and gentlemen that applied themselves to me,
except by digitation, which they understood not, I
was forced, sometimes, when much disordered by my
convulsions, to send them away dissatisfied, which, if
it were any mortification to them, proved a much
greater to myself, because, upon my ready performances in the mystery I am master of, depends the
welfare of my whole family.
Under these unhappy circumstances I laboured
till the month of October, in the year 1724, confined,
by my distemper, to my own habitation, not daring
to go abroad for fear of falling in the streets, having
been surprised by my fits in St. James's Park, and
several other places. But, about this time, being
possessed with a strong inclination to the Cold Bath,
near Sir John Oldcastle's, and the great desire I
had to experience the same being highly encouraged
by your advice and approbation, I summoned all the
strength I had to my assistance, and, pursuant to
the dictates of my own restless mind, had recourse
thither accordingly, attended by a proper person to
take due care of me, for fear of the worst.
I had not repeated this cold expedient above
r 294 1




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


twice or thrice, but I was sensible of the benefits I
received thereby, for my distemper began to treat
me with less severity than usual, and my fits were
succeeded with a greater defluxion of tears than
what was common before I applied myself to the
bath; so that, after my weeping was over, I found
myself much refreshed, and all my faculties abundantly more alert, than at any time they had been
since my first illness, insomuch, that, from a timely
continuance of this external application, I entertained
great hopes of a perfect recovery; but, notwithstanding my diligent prosecution of this sharp and shivering method, I was, to my great sorrow, unhappily
disappointed; for my convulsions were as frequent,
though not so violent, as formerly, and I was now
again divested of all hopes of relief, except by the
hand of Providence, having nothing to trust to, but
that infallible Physician who can cure all things in
an instant.
The despondency I was now under of any assistance from human art, and the slender opinion you
seemed to entertain of my recovery, made my intervals as melancholy as my fits were troublesome.
Oppressed with these hard circumstances, I supported
a burthensome life, and dragged on the tedious hours
till the latter end of the year 1725, about which
time, as I was slumbering one morning in my
bed, after a restless night, my good genius, or
guardian angel, clothed in a white surplice, like a
singing boy, appeared before me, holding a scroll,
or label, in his right hand, whereon the following
words were wrote in large capitals: —
[295]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
READ, BELIEVE, AND PRACTISE; THE LOADSTONE SHALL BE YOUR CURE, WITH AN ADDITION OF THE POWDER HERE PRESCRIBED YOU;
BUT KEEP THE LAST AS A SECRET, FOR WITH
THAT AND THE MAGNET YOU SHALL RELIEVE
NUMBERS   IN  DISTRESS, AND    LIVE  TO  DO
GREATER WONDERS THAN YOU HAVE HITHERTO  PERFORMED; THEREFORE      BE   OF GOOD
CHEER, FOR YOU HAVE A FRIEND UNKNOWN,
WHO, IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE, WILL NEVER
FAIL YOU.
This comfortable news, though delivered to me
after so surprising a manner, yet was it very welcome to a languishing person, under a complication
of misfortunes. Notwithstanding, I had a great
struggle with my natural reason, before I could convince myself of what I was yet confident my very
eyes had seen, or, at least, had been represented to
me after an extraordinary manner, for betwixt
really seeing a vision, or verily believing we do see
it, there is but a slender difference. However, the
entire confidence I had put in Providence, and the
great desire I had to be relieved, were to me convincing arguments, beyond all objection, that my
guardian angel had actually appeared, and communicated to my eyes the very scroll that I had read, the
words of which, lest my memory should have proved
treacherous, I entered in my pocket-book, as they are
before recited, the recipe only excepted.
Having thus subjected my reason to my senses, or,
at least, my faith (for I either saw, or believed I saw,
what I have here reported), I had nothing else to do,
but to put in practice the recipe which my good
genius had imparted to me, though how to come at
[ 96




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


a loadstone, seemed to me as difficult as to find out
the Philosopher's Stone, having but a slender knowledge of the thing itself, and much less of its virtues.
However, upon inquiry, I soon found out a certain
virtuoso, near Moorfields, who is an eminent dealer
in such sort of curiosities, and, by his assistance, I
presently furnished myself with what I wanted, and
sending for some fat amber, and a certain preparation of steel, which I privately dispensed in a very
particular manner, according to the recipe communicated by my genius; then applying both as
directed, was miraculously delivered, in a great measure, from those racking convulsions which had so
long afflicted me, and, in less than a month's time,
my whole microcosm was restored to such a happy
state of health, strength, and vivacity, that, heaven
be praised, I could do anything as usual. But, if I
leave off my loadstone for two or three days, which
I have sometimes done, merely out of curiosity, my
fits, as yet, will remind me of my foolish presumption, and force me to have recourse to my wonderful
preservative, which has not only proved so great a
friend to myself, but has relieved others in the like
distress, and, as I have found by three or four late
experiments, is as effectual in suppressing vapours,
and removing or preventing hysteric fits in women,
as it is in epilepsies and convulsions in our own sex,
either men or children.
Now, doctor, since I have happily conquered so
stubborn an enemy, by such miraculous means as do
not fail to assist others as well as myself, I desire
you will vouchsafe me your real sentiments of this
[297]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
uncommon way of cure, your notions of the genii,
and the wonderful manner of communicating the
recipe; your thoughts of the loadstone and the virtues
thereof; your opinion of sympathy, and the cures
performed thereby, for I know you are a philosopher
sufficient, as well as physician, to give a very good
light into all these mysteries, in which I own I am
to seek; therefore hope you will condescend so far
as to spend a leisure hour upon the foregoing particulars, and you will infinitely oblige, sir, your assured
friend, and humble servant,
DUNCAN CAMPBELL.
To my deaf and dumb Friend, MR. DUNCAN CAMPBELL,
in answer to his letter to an anonymous worthy
Friend, Physician, and Philosopher.
SIR, — I received your letter, and read the same
with no less surprise than satisfaction; for, as I am
greatly pleased at your miraculous recovery, so I
am equally astonished at the wonderful means
by which it was obtained. I confess, I have been
too great a student in physic and natural philosophy,
to entertain any extraordinary opinion of miracles,
no ways accountable to human reason, except those
that concern religion, which are brought down to
our knowledge well attested, and recommended to our
faith by unexceptionable authorities; not but that
I am ready to admit, that the power of healing is
in the hand of Providence, and that some patients,
when their distempers, through the frailty of human
judgment, derive their essence from so obscure an
[298]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


original that even puzzles the physician -then, I
say, I am so free to acknowledge, when the blessing
of God accompanies the administration, that the
most trifling application in the eyes of art, may
recover such persons from the most dangerous infirmities. This I look upon to be your extraordinary
case, and therefore think not the means to which
you ascribe your cure, or the manner of the recipe's
being communicated to you, a proper subject for a
physical inquiry, unless you had sent me the prescription of your genius, which I understand by your
letter you are obliged to conceal, and then, perhaps,
I should have been able to have judged, in some
measure, which of the applications are most essential,
the powder or the loadstone, also, how far your guardian angel is a regular proficient in the modern
practice of physic.
However, as you desire my opinion of the genii,
the loadstone, the powder of sympathy, and the like,
I shall not be only willing to give you my own
thoughts, but the sentiments of others, before I take
my leave, who have made the foregoing particulars
their principal studies, and are therefore better
acquainted with the nature of spirits, than I pretend
to be.
As for the genii or familiar spirits, good and bad,
believed and reported, by the most wise and learned
of the ancients, to attend mankind, and the various
operations they have had upon human minds as well
as bodies, I cannot but confess, seem very wonderful
to my defective understanding; yet, when we observe
what innumerable instances have been handed to us
[299]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,


by the most reputable authors, both ancient and
modern, attested from time to time by unquestionable
authorities, who, that, before he dived into these
mysteries, looked upon the same to be whimsy, can
forbear staggering in his opinion?
The most celebrated instance of a genius among
the ancients, is that of Socrates, one of the wisest of
the philosophers in the age he lived in; and that he
had such a familiar spirit to attend him, which the
Greeks called Daemon, and the Latins, Genius, is
sufficiently testified by three of his cotemporaries,
viz., Plato, Xenophon, and Antisthenes; also further
confirmed by Laertius, Plutarch, Maximus Tyrius,
Dion Chrysostomus, Cicero, Apuleius, and Facinas;
besides others more modern, as Tertullian, Origen,
Clemens Alexandrinus, &c. But that which is of
greater authority than all the vouchers aforementioned, is what Socrates says of himself in Plato's
Theage, viz., " By some divine lot, I have a certain
demon, which has followed me from my childhood,
as an oracle; and this voice," says he, for so he terms
it, "whenever it speaks to me, dissuades me from
engaging in what I am about to put in action, but
never prompts me to attempt anything." This, I
presume, might be the chief reason why Socrates pursued not his own inclinations, which were naturally
vicious, as himself confessed to the physiognomist,
but was always accompanied with a divine spirit that
restrained him from it; for, in speaking to Alcibiades,
a vicious nobleman of Athens, but reclaimed by Socrates, says he, "My tutor" (meaning the spirit that
attended him) "is wiser and better than you." And
[s00]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


to show further, that what he called his demon was
something more than a secret impulse of the mind,
or dictates of a good conscience, Theocritus affirms
in Plutarch, that a vision attended Socrates from his
childhood, going before him, and guiding him in all
the actions of his life, being a constant light to him
in such affairs as lay not within the reach of human
understanding, and that the spirit often spoke to him,
divinely governing and inspiring his intentions. A
thousand instances of the like nature I could collect
from the ancients, to prove that what you have reported to me, in your letter, may be no delusion, but
real fact, with all its surprising circumstances, could
the task be comprised within the compass of a letter;
but, a treatise of this nature being much fitter for a
volume, I shall only proceed to a few familiar instances of a more modern date, that your wonderful
cure may gain credit with the public, because I know
your sincerity.
Froissart reports, that in the time of Edward III.
there was a certain knight in France, called Corasse,
who could tell everything transacted throughout the
whole world, in a day or two at the most, were the
distance never so remote; and this he did by an invisible intelligencer or familiar spirit, which he called
Orthone, who was always at his command, and brought
him news continually for many years, till at last he
lost the benefit of so useful a companion, through a
vain desire of gratifying his curiosity after the following manner, viz.: the knight, having hitherto only
heard the voice of his spiritual emissary, was now
infatuated with an earnest inclination to behold his
[S01]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,


shape, which favour he requested of Orthone; accordingly, whose answer was, that the first thing he should
see on the morrow morning, after he was risen from
his bed, should be the object he desired, or words to
that effect. The knight, the next morning, pursuant
to the direction of the spirit, arose from his bed,
looked about him, but could not discover anything
worthy of remark; upon which disappointment, he
upbraided Orthone with being worse than his word,
who replied, he had kept his promise, desiring the
knight to remind himself of what he had first observed after his rising. The knight, upon recollection, replied, that he saw nothing uncommon, but
a couple of straws tumbling upon the ground, and
sporting one with another, as if agitated by the wind.
" That was I," saith the spirit, " and therefore I kept
my word." Then the knight desired to see him once
more, in such a shape as might induce him, the next
time, to take more notice of him, to which the spirit
consented, saying, "The first thing you see on the
morrow morning, after your uprising, shall be me
again." Accordingly, when the time appointed was
come, and the knight risen from his bed, looking out
of his chamber-window, the first object he espied, was
a lean, ill-favoured sow, so deformed and ugly, that
he was not able to abide the sight of her; and not
expecting Orthone to appear to him in so homely a
manner, he set his dogs upon the sow to drive her
away, who being highly affronted at such an unfriendly usage, immediately vanished, to the knight's
great surprise; and his old acquaintance Orthone
never came near him after. This relation Froissart
[302]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


asserts he had from the knight's own mouth, with
whom he was very intimate.
From hence I conclude, that the same sort of spirit
that attended Corassp, has been always a friend to
you, not only of late, in your miraculous recovery,
but has at all times assisted you in writing the name
of strangers, discovering the most secret intrigues,
and foretelling future events, for which you have
been famous. As for a further proof of the existence
of spirits, and that, at some other times, as well as in
your case, they have prescribed physic to their living
friends, I shall quote an instance out of Mr. Glanvil's
Reports, attested by the Lord Orrery, the famous Mr.
Greatrix, and many others, living in the reign of
King Charles the Second.
A gentleman in Ireland, near to the Earl of
Orrery's house, sending his butler one afternoon to a
neighbouring village to buy cards, as he passed a
field, espied a company in the middle thereof, sitting
round a table, with several dishes of good cheer
before them, and moving towards them, they all rose
and saluted him, desiring him to sit down and take
part with them. But one of them whispered these
words in his ear, viz., " Do nothing this company
invites you to;" whereupon, he refusing to accept
of their kindness, the table, and all the dainties it
was furnished with, immediately vanished, but the
company fell to dancing and playing upon divers
musical instruments. The butler was a second time
solicited to partake of their diversions, but would not
be prevailed upon to engage himself with them; upon
which, they left off their merrymaking and fell to
[80s]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
work, still pressing the butler to make one among
them, but to no purpose; so that, upon his third
refusal, they all vanished and left the butler alone,
who, in a great consternation, returned home without
the cards, fell into a fit as he entered the house, but
soon recovering his senses, related to his master all
that had passed.
The following night, one of the ghostly company
came to his bedside, and told him, that if he offered
to stir out the next day, he would be carried away;
upon whose advice, he kept within till towards the
evening, and having occasion to make water, ventured
to set one foot over the threshold of the door, in
order to ease himself, which he had no sooner done,
but a rope was cast about his middle, in the sight of
several standers-by, and the poor man was hurried
from the porch with unaccountable swiftness, followed
by many persons; but they were not nimble enough
to overtake him, till a horseman, well mounted, happening to meet him upon the road, and seeing many
followers in pursuit of a man hurried along in a rope,
without anybody to force him, catched hold of the
cord and stopped him in his career, but received,
for his pains, such a strap upon his back with one
end of the rope, as almost felled him from his horse.
However, being a good Christian, he was too strong
for the devil, and recovered the butler out of the
spirits' clutches, and brought him back to his
friends.
The Lord Orrery, hearing of these strange passages,
for his further satisfaction of the truth thereof, sent
for the butler, with leave of his master, to come and
[ 04 ]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


continue some days and nights at his house, which,
in obedience to his lordship, the servant did accordingly; who, after his first night's bedding there,
reported to the earl in the morning, that his spectre
had again been with him, and assured him, that on
that very day he should be spirited away, in spite of
all the measures that could possibly be taken to
prevent it. Upon which he was conducted into a
large room, with a considerable number of holy persons to defend him from the assaults of Satan;
among whom was the famous stroker of bewitched
persons, Mr. Greatrix, who lived in the neighbourhood, and knew, as may be presumed, how to deal
with the devil as well as anybody; besides several
eminent quality were present in the house, among
the rest, two bishops, all waiting the wonderful
event of this unaccountable prodigy.
Till part of the afternoon was spent, the time slid
away in nothing but peace and quietness, but, at
length, the enchanted patient was perceived to rise
from the floor without any visible assistance, whereupon Mr. Greatrix, and another lusty man, clapt
their arms over his shoulders, and endeavoured to
weigh him down with their utmost strength, but to
no purpose, for the devil proved too powerful, and,
after a hard struggle on both sides, made them quit
their hold, and snatching the butler from them,
carried him over their heads and tossed him in the
air, to and fro, like a dog in a blanket, several of the
company running under the poor wretch to save him
from the ground; by which means, when the spirits'
frolic was over, they could not find that in all this
2o             [ 305 ]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
hurry-scurry, the frighted butler had received the
least damage, but was left in statu quo, upon the
same premises, to prove the devil a liar.
The goblins, for this bout, having given over their
pastime, and left their May-game to take a little
repose, that he might in some measure be refreshed
against their next sally, my lord ordered, the same
night, two of his servants to lie with him, for fear
some devil or other should come and catch him napping; notwithstanding which, the butler told his
lordship the next morning, that the spirit had again
been with him in the likeness of a quack doctor,
and held in his right hand a wooden dish full of grey
liquor, like a mess of porridge, at the sight of which
he endeavoured to awake his bedfellows; but the
spectre told him, his attempts were fruitless, for that
his companions were enchanted into a deep sleep,
advising him not to be frighted, for he came as a
friend, and was the same spirit that cautioned him
in the field against complying with the company he
there met, when he was going for the cards; adding,
that if he had not refused to come into their measures, he had been for ever miserable; also wondered
he had escaped the day before, because he knew there
was so powerful a combination against him; that for
the future there would be no more attempts of the
like nature; further telling the poor trembling butler, that he knew he was sadly troubled with two
sorts of fits, and, therefore, as a friend, he had
brought him a medicine that would cure him of both,
beseeching him to take it. But the poor patient,
who had been scurvily used by these sort of doctors,
[806]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


and fearing the devil might be at the bottom of the
cup, would not be prevailed upon to swallow the
dose, which made the spirit angry; who told him,
however, he had a kindness for him, and that if he
would bruise the roots of plantain without the leaves,
and drink the juice thereof, it should certainly cure
him of one sort of his fits, but as a punishment for
his obstinacy in refusing the liquor, he should carry
the other with him to his grave. Then the spiritual
doctor asked his patient if he knew him; the butler
answered no. "I am," says he, "the wandering
ghost of your old acquaintance John Hobby, who
has been dead and buried these seven years; and ever
since, for the wickedness of my life, have been lifted
into the company of those evil spirits you beheld
in the fields, am hurried up and down in this restless condition, and doomed to continue in the same
wretched state till the day of judgment;" adding,
that " had you served your Creator in the days of
your youth, and offered up your prayers that morning
before you were sent for the cards, you had not been
treated by the spirits that tormented you, with so
much rigour and severity."
After the butler had reported these marvellous
passages to my lord and his family, the two bishops,
that were present, among other quality, were thereupon consulted, whether or no it was proper for the
butler to follow the spirit's advice, in taking the
plantain juice for the cure of his fits, and whether
he had done well or ill, in refusing the liquid dose
which the spectre would have given him. The
question, at first, seemed to be a kind of moot point,
[ 307]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,


but, after some struggle in the debate, their resolution was, that the butler had acted, through the
whole affair, like a good Christian, for that it was
highly sinful to follow the devil's advice in anything,
and that no man should do evil that good might
come of it; so that, in short, the poor butler, after
his fatigue, had no amends for his trouble, but was
denied, by the bishops, the seeming benefit that the
spirit intended him.
I do not introduce this old surprising story to
amuse you, but to let you know, that it is no new
thing for spectres to turn doctors to ailing persons as
they retain a respect for, and that your genius was
not the first spirit that ever practised physic. Therefore, if this narrative, reported by Glanvil, Beaumont,
and others, may obtain credit, upon the authorities
of my Lord Orrery, Mr. Greatrix, and divers persons,
who were in a great measure eye-witnesses of the
matter, I see no reason I have to doubt the truth of
your letter, since I know your integrity; besides, it
has always been allowed by such demonologers as
have published their thoughts upon the visibility of
spirits, that Scotland is never without such a sort
of people as they call second-sighted, who have not
only the power of discerning apparitions, but, by
their frequent conversation with spirits, foretell future
events, to the great astonishment of all persons that
consult them. That there are such a sort of diviners
in the world, especially in Scotland, I am thoroughly
convinced; of which number I take vourself to be
one. But how to account for your mysterious performances, I readily confess I know not, and therefore
[808]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


shall submit that task to such as are qualified with a
more subtle penetration.
I doubt I have tired your patience with too much
prolixity upon familiar spirits, therefore, to make you
amends, I will be but short in my dissertation upon
the loadstone, which, in the first place, is a very
ponderous fossil, found in different climates, and
seems in its nature and qualities to be nearly related
to iron ore, from whence it is endowed with a peculiar
property of drawing to itself by the power of sympathy, or the natural disposition it has to embrace
that particular metal. In Egypt there are large
mines of it; some few magnets have been found in.Ethiopia, which have attracted iron very forcibly.
But two sorts are dug up at the foot of the Sardinian
mountains, of such different natures, that as one
draws iron, the other will repel it; as you will find it
reported by Johannes Jonstonus, in his " History of
Nature;" also by Pliny, in his Second Book, who,
for the aforesaid reason, calls this stone Theamedes.
As to the singular virtues hitherto discovered in the
common loadstone, the most admirable of all are the
strict correspondence it maintains with the two
poles, and the wonderful property it communicates
by a touch to the needle, for the benefit of mariners.
The power of its attraction is thought by some virtuosos to be owing to a clammy bituminous substance,
by which the contexture of the more solid parts are
closely cemented and confirmed; to prove this, work
a loadstone in the fire and it shall cast forth a bluish
flame, like that of lighted brimstone, and so continue
till it spends its life, and loses the power of attrac[I09]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
tion. There is a great deal of sulphur in iron as well
as in the loadstone, which is the principal cause of
their sympathising with each other, and if you destroy
the first in either, the last will fail in course, which
is the reason why the loadstone will not attract the
rust of iron, though it will the filings, because in the
former the bituminous matter is quite spent, and
nothing left but a kind of caput mortuum. The
loadstone hath also two poles, which answer those in
the heavens; if you touch the needle with the north
pole of the stone, it will point to the Arctic, if with
the south part thereof, as it stood posited in the
mine, it will point to the Antarctic, but not with the
utmost exactness, except it stands in the meridian.
But to be further satisfied in these mysteries, have
recourse to Libavius, Cardanus, Pliny, Bodin, Porta,
our own "Philosophical Transactions," and such
authors as have treated more largely upon this subject, for, I suppose, all that you want to know of me
is, if ever I have heard from others, or discovered by
my own experience, any such physical virtue in the
loadstone, as may tend to the cure of any chronical
or other disease incident to human bodies, that may
strengthen the opinion you seem to entertain of it
in such cases, from the benefit yourself has lately
received in so extraordinary a manner.
In answer to this, I confess, I have heard affirmed
(but not by a physician), that the loadstone hath
withdrawn the inflammation, and given ease in the
gout, and by changing the application of it from one
side to the other, has at length chased it away, to
the perfect recovery of the patient; but in any other
[ 310]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


case, excepting your own, I never heard of a cure so
much as facilitated or attempted to be performed
thereby; therefore, as the use of it in any disease is
quite foreign to the common practice of physic, if
others, as well as yourself, have received benefit by
this new discovery, I think not myself obliged to
account for it, till it becomes practical among my
own fraternity, and then it will be time enough
for any physician to give his thoughts thereon.
Besides, I am a stranger to the preparation prescribed to you by your genius, and without the
knowledge of that material secret, it is impossible
for any physician, in your case, to make a clear
judgment, or to know which of the two your cure
is chiefly owing to, the powder or the loadstone;
for how far the latter may operate upon a body prepared by pulvis martis or other chalybeates, I shall
not pretend to determine, though, for aught I know,
wonderful cures may be performed in that way; but
upon what reason in nature such a new system can
be founded, seems very remote from my present
understanding. But, since you are become sole master
of so wonderful a secret, my advice is, that you keep
the recipe to yourself, in obedience to your genius,
and though you assist others, never do it without
fee or reward, for all useful discoveries ought to be
rendered profitable.
In answer to the last article of your request, I
shall now proceed to say something of sympathy, and
the cures reported to have been done thereby. The
sympathetic powder, so highly esteemed about a
hundred years since, by men of art in this kingdom,
[ 11 ]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
was first brought into Europe by a religious Carmelite,
who, in his travels through India, Persia, and China,
had made himself master of this secret, and from
some of those eastern countries, came over into
Tuscany, where he performed many considerable
cures by this occult method, to the great astonishment of the most eminent physicians and surgeons
in those parts; insomuch that the Duke of Tuscany
himself was very desirous of becoming master of this
surprising arcanum, but the honest friar, by many
handsome excuses, brought himself off, and would
not be prevailed upon to communicate his nostrum
to his highness.
Some few months after this, our famous English
virtuoso, Sir Kenelm Digby, happening, in his travels,
to be at the Grand Duke's Court, an opportunity
fell accidentally in the knight's way to do the friar a
service, which the good old man took so kindly at
his hands, that he recompensed the courtesy with a
discovery of his secret; and soon after returning into
Persia, left no man in Europe master of the same
but Sir Kenelm, who was the first person that brought
the recipe into England, and that here wrought cures
by it himself, and recommended it to the practice of
others; so that, in a little time, every mother-midwife and country flaybeard became topping surgeons,
especially for the cure of green wounds; for it is not
to be trusted to in other cases.
This sympathetic powder, by which many miracles
have been performed at great distances, is nothing
more than the simple powder of Roman vitriol, either
chemically prepared, or imperfectly calcined in the
[ 81]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


beams of the sun; from whence, 't is said, it derives
a very balsamic virtue. A little of this applied to
any instrument that has done mischief, or to a rag
dipped into, or stained with the blood of a wound,
never fails of curing the patient at the widest distance, provided the wound be curable.
Sir Kenelm Digby, to advance the credit of this
surprising medicine, speaks very largely in commendation thereof, in a little treatise of his, written
first in French, upon the same subject; wherein he
boasts of a remarkable cure performed by himself, in
a most wonderful manner, with only the use of this
astonishing powder; and therefore, as in religious
cases example goes beyond precept, so, to convince
you of the miracles performed by sympathy, instances, perhaps, may prove more effectual than
arguments: for which reason, I shall proceed to furnish
you with a notable experiment of this magical powder,
and so conclude.
Mr. James Howell, a trusty servant to King James
I., famous in those days for compiling a treatise, entitled "Dendrologia,' and afterwards for his legacy
to the world, called "Epistolhe Ho-Elianae," happened,
when he was a young gentleman, to accidentally come
by, when two of his dearest friends were fiercely engaged in a very dangerous duel, and to prevent
further mischief, very likely to ensue, too rashly
catched hold, with his naked hand, of his sword,
whose passion prompted him to be the most desperate; in which attempt, the weapon being drawn
through Mr. Howells palm, cut the nerves and
muscles thereof to the very bone, and, as they were
[813]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON; OR,
thus scuffling, holding up the same hand to defend
one of his friends from a blow upon his head, received another cut upon the back of his hand, cross
all the veins and tendons, more terrible than the
former; which, his friends perceiving, put a sudden
stop to their inebrious fury, ran both to embrace
him, and express their sorrow for the unhappy accident, lending him their assistance to bind up his
wounds with his own garters, and so conducted
him to his lodgings, where they sent directly for a
surgeon, who found the case desperate, for he bled
abundantly.
Mr. Howell being a gentleman much respected by
the quality, the news of his misfortune soon reached
the court; and his Majesty having a great regard for
him, sent one of his own surgeons to attend him, who
found the case to be so very bad that he seemed
doubtful of a cure, without cutting off his hand;
which occasioned Mr. Howell, about five days after
the hurt was received, to apply himself to his good
friend and neighbour, Sir Kenelm Digby, who at that
time was famous for the sympathetic powder, begging
his assistance in that painful extremity, telling him,
that his surgeons were apprehensive of a gangrene.
Sir Kenelm, opening the wounds, found a terrible
case of it, and a dangerous inflammation upon the
part, which, Mr. Howell acknowledged, gave him
such intolerable pain as was scarce supportable. The
knight asked him if he had any bandage with the
blood upon it. Mr. Howell answered, yes; accordingly sent his servant for the bloody garter which
had first bound up his wounds, and delivered it to
[814]




THE GENEROUS APPARITION


Sir Kenelm, who, calling for a basin of water, went
into his closet for a handful of his powder, which he
infused therein, and then soaked the garter in the
same liquor, whilst Mr. Howell was talking with
another gentleman, at the further end of the room,
not knowing in the least what Sir Kenelm was doing;
who, after he had bathed the garter in the basin
about a minute, called to his patient, and asked him
how he found himself, who answered, " So wonderful
easy that the inflammation seems to be totally extinguished, the pain quite gone off, and my hand I find
as cool and as much refreshed as if it was wrapped up
in a wet napkin." " Then," replied the knight, "fling
off your dressings, meddle no more with plaisters, only
keep your wounds clean and from the air, and I doubt
not, but in a few days' time, I shall effectually cure
you, without putting you to any further trouble."
Much comforted with this assurance, Mr. Howell took
a thankful leave of Sir Kenelm, and so departed.
Mr. Howell had not been gone above a quarter of
an hour, before the knight took the garter out of the
liquor, to dry it before the fire, and carelessly hanging it a little too near, the extraordinary heat, by the
concatenation of effluvias, had such an effect upon the
patient, that he made as many wry faces as a cook
that had burnt his fingers; upon which he despatched
his servant, with all imaginable expedition, to let his
doctor know what a condition he was relapsed into.
Sir Kenelm, who presently conjectured the cause of
this disaster, smiling at the message the servant had
delivered, and snatching the garter from the fire, told
him that his master should be very easy by the time
[315]




THE FRIENDLY DEMON


he could return to him, which the footman, by the
acknowledgment of his master, found to be true accordingly, Sir Kenelm doing nothing more to work
this change, than cooling the reeking garter by a
speedy repetition of his former application; so that,
without any further accident interposing, the patient
was thoroughly cured, in five or six days' time, by this
extraordinary method, to the inexpressible admiration
of all his Majesty's surgeons.
Sir, this is all, at present, I am at leisure to say in
answer to your letter, and, I doubt, you will think it
enough too, except more to the purpose. What ex.
traordinary cures you happen to perform by your new
method, I desire you will communicate to me as soon
as you can conveniently, for to hear of your success
will be no little satisfaction to, sir, your assured friend,
and humble servant.


THE END




I




THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
DATE DUE


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|       FROM THE LIBRARY OF
FREDERICK LYMAN GEDDES, A.B. 18Z2
T              AND
- KATE R, GEDDES


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