Page images
PDF
EPUB

2

[ocr errors]

Our Judge is of Opinion, That when the Witches leave their Beds in the Night to go to their Nocturnal Affemblies, the Devil places a Phantome in their Room, that is altogether like them; and that a Huf band in fuch a Cafe embraces a Spectre inftead of his Wife, as the Poers tell us, that, Ixion embraced a Cloud inftead of Juno. Sometimes the Devil himfelf fupplies the Place of the Wife, and lies with the Husband in the Shape of a Woman..

[ocr errors]

All the Sorcerers and Witches, tried by Judge Bo guet, told him, That they went conftantly to their Nocturnal Meetings about Midnight, and that thofe Affemblies broke up as foon, as the Cock crew. The Author thinks that God out of his infinite Mercy, deigns to bring thofe deluded People to Repentance by the Cock's Crowing, as St. Peter repented of his Fault when he heard the Cock crow.

When Sorcerers and Witches meet, they worship the Devil, who appears fometimes in the Shape of a Man, and fometimes in the Shape of a Goat. They offer up fome Candles to him, which caft a Light of a bluish Colour, and then kifs his Backfide. Afterwards they fall a Dancing with their Backs turned to each other. Some Devils play upon the Violins and moft times Satan himself plays upon a Flute. When Dancing is over, they lie promiscuously one with another. This Lewdness is attended with a common Meal, All Sorcerers declare that the Meat which they eat in thofe Meetings, has no manner of Tafte: And most of them add, That when they rife from Table, they are as hungry as they were before. After the Meal every body is obliged to give an Account of what he has done fince the laft Meeting. Thofe who have been guilty of the most wicked Things, are highly commended for it; but thofe, who have been leis Mifchievous, are laughed at by the whole Affembly, and moft times abufed and beaten by their Master. Then Vol. IV. Вь

14

[ocr errors]

the

[ocr errors]

the Devil requires from them to renounce again God, and their Baptifin, and to wear that they will never fpeak of God, the Holy Virgin, and the Saints, and that they will do to their Neighbours all the Mischief they can macho zabimorf2

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Our Author fays, It is a common Thing to prepare Storms of Hail at the Devil's Meeting, to detroy the Fruits of the Earth. But he obferves, That fometimes the poor and beggerly Sorcerers are a gainft it, for fear of Starving, and quarrel with the rich upon that account. Henry Boguet was informed of this Particular by fome Wizards, burnt at Champlite, who further faid, That when the rich Sorcerers undertake to raise thofe Storms, and ares ftoutly oppofed by the Poor, they find it neceffary to throw the Dice, in order in order to decide the Diffe

fence.

The Author obferves, as a very remarkable Thing, That most of thofe who have been executed at St. Claude for Witchcraft, had no Crofs in their Beads, or ar leaft that fome fmall piece was. wanting to each Crofs. As if the fmall wooden Croffes of Beads could not eafily break and wear our by a long Ufe. He makes another Obfervation, viz. That all the Witches he examined, as a Judge, never fhed any Tears in his Prefence; but when he fpoke to them in private, their Tears were very plentiful. This is far from being a certain Sign of Guilt; and granting that what he fays is exactly true, it may eafily be accounted for. How unhappy were thofe that fell into the Hands of fuch a credulous Judge!

It is neceffary (fays he) to fhave the Heads of Sorcerers and Witches, because they hide in their Hair a Drug, called the Charm of Silence; and whilft they have it about them, they never confefs any thing, and if they are put to the Rack, they feel no Pain. Sometimes they hide the Charm in their Cloaths; and therefore 'tis an ufual thing

to

to give them new Cloaths. Frances Secretam was ftrip'daftark naked, to know whether the Devil had imprinted any Mark on her Body; for 'tis com. monly believed, that fome Witches are marked in the Shoulder, others under the Eye-lid, fome under the Tongue, and others in their Secret Parts. However our Judge confeffes, that he never could fee any fuch Marks, tho' he took great Care to find them out. One George Gandillon fhewed him the Place, on which he had been marked by the Devil, viz. in his Left Sholder; but our Author could not difcern the Mark for want of a skilful Chirurgeon. He believes the Devil does frequently take off fuch Marks, avhen thofe that lift themselves under his Banner, are committed to Gaol. Thus Judge Boguet finds out a Reason for every thing

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

See the Continuation of this Extract in the Vth Volume. Article II.

*I have published a curious Report of Two Phyfi cians and Three Chirurgeons about thofe Marks, in my Account of Two Witches tried at Geneva. See the First Volume. Article XLVII.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors]

OBSERVATIONS fur l'Obliquité de l'Ecliptique. de Lary aneh (C tem

Genomic ori oi berVanil

[merged small][ocr errors]

OBSERVATIONS concerning the Ob liquity of the Ecliptick, taken from a Foreign Journal.

IT to to be

T appears to me, that the finall Variation, to be

the Space of many Years upon the Obliquity of the Ecliptick, is not to be afcribed to a real Variation of the Obliquity of the Ecliptick,, as if the Angle it makes with the Equator was now fmaller than it was fome Years ago; which is perhaps the Opinion of fome Aftronomers to this very Day. That Difference ought rather to be afcribed to a Variati on in the Refraction, as I have already faid upon fome other Occafions. And indeed, fince in the frequent Obfervations which I have made at all times about the apparent Lownefs of the Horizon of the Sea, I have found that there is a continual Variation, which can only be afcribed to the different Conftitution of the Air; I think there can be no doubt,

doubt, that the Refraction does alfo continually vary in the Heights of the Stars, and particularly of the Sun, above the Horizon, according to the dif ferent Conftitution of the Air; tho not fo fenfibly, but as they are more or less elevated above the Horizon, However, it is not fo easily dif cerned, as in the Lownels of the Horizon of the Seatri A He not

wed

[ocr errors]

1. Becaufe thofe Heights of the Stars are always different, and do not afford a fixed Point.

[ocr errors]

I

2. Because thofe Differences being lefs fenfible, as the Star is more elevated above the Horizon the fmall Differences that are found in thofe Heights are imputed to the Obfervation, or to the Inftrument which cannot be done in the Obfervations of the Horizon

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

It seems therefore more reasonable to ascribe to that Variation of Refractions, in the Solftitial Heights of the Sun, the fmall Variation obfervable in the Obliquity of the Ecliptick, than to admit a real Variation in the Obliquity of the Ecliptick, which would occafion a great Confufion in Aftronomy, and befides is far from being fufficiently proved, as it appears from all the Obfervations, that have been made hitherto.

[ocr errors]

Tho the Inftruments be never fo good and fo large, I think Obfervations will never be performed more exactly: The different Conftitution of the Air will always prevent it. I repeat it again, what is obferved in the Horizon is a Prefumption, or ra ther a Demonftration for all the Heights, in which the Variation of the Refraction cannot be fo easily and fo certainly obferved; but the Existence of the Variation in the Horizon, is a Proof of the Exi ftence of the Variation in the feveral Heights above the Horizonte Botado owlo

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »