The History of the Devil Part 22

It is true, _Satan_ may be oblig'd to make different Appearances, as the several Circ.u.mstances of Things call for it; in some Cases he makes his publick Entry, and then he must shew himself in his Habit of Ceremony; in other Cases he comes upon private Business, and then he appears in Disguise; in some publick Cases he may thing fit to be _incog._ and then he appears dress'd _a la Masque_; so they say he appear'd at the famous St. _Bartholomew_ Wedding at _Paris_, where, he came in dress'd up like a Trumpeter, danc'd in his Habit, sounded a _Levet_, and then went out and rung the Alarm-Bell (which was the Signal to begin the Ma.s.sacre) half an Hour before the Time appointed, lest the King's Mind should alter, and his Heart fail him.

If the Story be not made upon him, (for we should not slander the _Devil_) it should seem, he was not thoroughly satisfied in King _Charles_ IX.'s Steadiness in his Cause; for the King, it seems, had relax'd a little once before, and Satan might be afraid he would fall off again, and so prevent the Execution: Others say, the King did relent immediately after the ringing the _Alarm-Bell_, but that then it was too late, the Work was begun, and the Rage of Blood having been let loose among the People, there was no recalling the Order. If the _Devil_ was thus brought to the Necessity of a secret Management, it must be owned he did it dexterously; but I have not Authority enough for the Story, to charge him with the Particulars, so I leave it _au croc._

I have much better Vouchers for the Story following, which I had so solemnly confirm'd by one that liv'd in the Family, that I never doubted the Truth of it. There liv'd, in the Parish of St. _Bennet Fynk_, near the _Royal Exchange_, an honest poor Widow Woman, who, _her Husband being lately dead_, took Lodgers into her House; that is, she let out some of her Rooms in order to lessen her own Charge of Rent; among the rest, she let her Garrets to a working Watchwheel-maker, or one some way concern'd in making the Movements of Watches, and who work'd to those Shop-keepers who sell Watches; as is usual.

It happened that a Man and Woman went up, to speak with this Movement-maker upon some Business which related to his Trade, and when they were near the Top of the Stairs, the Garret-Door where he usually worked being wide open, they saw the poor Man (the Watch-maker, or Wheel-maker) had hang'd himself upon a Beam which was left open in the Room a little lower than the Plaister, or Ceiling: Surpriz'd at the Sight, the Woman stop'd, and cried out to the Man who was behind her on the Stairs that he should run up, and cut the poor Creature down.

At that very Moment comes a Man hastily from another Part of the Room which they upon the Stairs could not see, bringing a Joint-Stool in his Hand, as if in great Haste, and sets it down just by the Wretch that was hang'd, and getting up as hastily upon it pulls a Knife out of his Pocket, and taking hold of the Rope with one of his Hands, beckon'd to the Woman and the Man behind her with his Head, as if to stop and not come up, shewing them the Knife in his other Hand, as if he was just going to cut the poor Man down.

Upon this, the Woman stopp'd a while, but the Man who stood on the Joint-Stool continued with his Hand and Knife as if fumbling at the Knot, but did not yet cut the Man down; at which the Woman cried out again, and the Man behind her call'd to her. Go up, _says he_, and help the Man upon the Stool! supposing something hindred. But the Man upon the Stool made Signs to them again to be quiet, and not come on, as if saying, I shall do it immediately; then he made two Strokes with his Knife, as if cutting the Rope, and then stopp'd again; and still the poor Man was hanging, and consequently dying: Upon this, the Woman on the Stairs cried out to him. What ails you? Why don't you cut the poor Man down? And the Man behind her, having no more Patience, thrusts her by, and said to her. Let me come, I'll warrant you I'll do it; and with that runs up and forward into the Room to the Man; but when he came there, behold, the poor Man was there hanging; but no Man with a Knife, or Joint-Stool, or any such thing to be seen, all that was Spectre and Delusion, in order, no doubt, to let the poor Creature that had hang'd himself perish and expire.

The Man was so frighted and surpriz'd, that with all the Courage he had before, he drop'd on the Floor as one dead, and the Woman at last was fain to cut the poor Man down with a Pair of Scissars, and had much to do to effect it.

As I have no room to doubt the Truth of this Story, which I had from Persons on whose Honesty I could depend. So I think it needs very little Trouble to convince us who the Man upon the Stool must be, and that it was the _Devil_ who plac'd himself there in order to finish the Murther of the Man who he had, _Devil_-like, tempted before, and prevail'd with to be his own Executioner. Besides, it corresponds so well with the _Devil_'s Nature, and with his Business, _viz._ that of a _Murtherer_, that I never question'd it; nor can I think we wrong the _Devil_ at all to charge him with it.

_N. B._ I cannot be positive in the remaining Part of this Story, _viz._ whether the Man was cut down soon enough to be recover'd, or whether the _Devil_ carry'd his Point, and kept off the Man and Woman till it was too late; but be it which it will, 'tis plain he did his Devilish Endeavour, and stay'd till he was forc'd to abscond again.

We have many solid Tales well attested, as well in History as in the Reports of honest People, who could not be deceived, intimating the _Devil_'s personal Appearance, some in one Place, some in another; as also sometimes in one Habit or Dress, and sometimes in another; and it is to be observed, that in none of those which are most like to be real, and in which there is least of Fancy and Vapour, you have any Mention of the _Cloven Foot_, which rather seems to be a mere Invention of Men (and perhaps chiefly of those who had a Cloven Understanding) I mean a shallow kind of Craft, the Effect of an empty and simple Head, thinking by such a well-meant, tho' weak Fraud, to represent the _Devil_ to the old Women and Children of the Age, with some Addition suitable to the Weakness of their Intellects, and suited to making them afraid of him.

I have another Account of a Person who travell'd upwards of four Years with the _Devil_ in his Company, and convers'd most intimately with him all the while; nay, if I may believe the Story, he knew most part of the Time that he was the _Devil_, and yet convers'd with him, and that very profitably, for he perform'd many very useful Services for him, and constantly preserv'd him from the Danger of Wolves and wild Beasts, which the Country he travell'd thro' was intolerably full of. Where, by the way, you are to understand, that the Wolves and Bears in those Countries knew the _Devil_, whatever Disguise he went in; or that the _Devil_ has some Way to fright Bears and such Creatures, more than we know of. Nor could this _Devil_ ever be prevail'd upon to hurt him or any of his Company. This Account has an innumerable Number of diverting Incidents attending it; but they are equal to all the rest in Bulk, and therefore too long for this Book.

I find too upon some more ordinary Occasions the _Devil_ has appear'd to several People at their Call: This indeed shews abundance of good Humour in him, considering him as a _Devil_, and that he was mighty complaisant: Nay some, they tell us, have a Power to raise the _Devil_ whenever they think fit; this I cannot bring the _Devil_ to a Level with, unless I should allow him to be _Servus Servorum_, as another _Devil_ in Disguise calls himself; subjected to ever old Wizard's Call; or that he is under a Necessity of appearing on such or such particular Occasions, whoever it is that calls him; which would bring the _Devil_'s Circ.u.mstances to a pitch of Slavery which I see no Reason to believe of them.

Here also I must take Notice again, that tho' I say the _Devil_, when I speak of all these Apparitions, whether of a greater or lesser Kind, yet I am not oblig'd to suppose Satan himself in Person is concern'd to shew himself, but that some of his _Agents_, Deputies and Servants, are sent to that Purpose, and directed what Disguise of Flesh and Blood to put on, as may be suitable to the Occasion.

This seems to be the only Way to reconcile all those simple and ridiculous Appearances which not _Satan_, but his Emissaries, (which we old Women call Imps) sometimes make, and the mean and sorry Employment they are put to: Thus Fame tells us of a certain Witch of Quality, who call'd the _Devil_ once to carry her over a Brook where the Water was swell'd with a hasty Rain, and lash'd him soundly with her Whip for letting her Ladyship fall into the Water before she was quite over. Thus also, as Fame tells us, she set the _Devil_ to work, and made him build _Crowland_ Abbey, where there was no Foundation to be found, only for disturbing the Workmen a little who were first set about it. So it seems another laborious _Devil_ was oblig'd to dig the great Ditch cross the Country from the Fenn Country to the Edge of _Suffolk_ and _Ess.e.x_; which who ever he has preserv'd the Reputation of, and where it crosses _New-Market_ Heath, 'tis call'd _Devil_'s _Ditch_ to this Day.

Another Piece of Punishment no doubt it was, when the _Devil_ was oblig'd to bring the Stones out of _Wales_ into _Wiltshire_, to build _Stone-heng_: How this was ordered in those Days, when it seems they kept _Satan_ to hard Labour, I know not; I believe it must be registred among the antient Pieces of Art which are lost in the World, such as melting of Stone, painting of Gla.s.s, _&c._ Certainly they had the _Devil_ under Correction in those Days; that is to say, those lesser Sorts of _Devils_; but I cannot think that the _muckle Thief Devil_, as they call him in the _North_, the Grand Seignior _Devil_ of all, was ever reduced to Discipline. What _Devil_ it was that _Dunstan_ took by the Nose with his red hot Tongs, I have not yet examin'd Antiquity enough to be certain of, any more than I can what Devil it was that St.

_Francis_ play'd so many warm Tricks with, and made him run away from him so often: However, this I take upon me to say, in the _Devil_'s Behalf, that it cou'd not be our _Satan_, the Arch _Devil_ of all _Devils_, of whom I have been talking so long.

Now is it unworthy the Occasion, to take notice that we really wrong the _Devil_, and speak of him very much to his Disadvantage, when we say of such a Great Lord, or of such a Lady of Quality, _I think the_ Devil _is in your Grace_: No, no, Satan has other Business, he very rarely possesses F--ls: Besides, some are so far from having the _Devil_ in them, that they are really transmigrated into the very Essence of the _Devil_ themselves; and others again not transmigrated, or a.s.similated, but Indeed and in Truth shew us that they are to have mere native _Devils_ in every Part and Parcel of them, and that the rest is only Masque and Disguise. Thus if _Rage_, _Envy_, _Pride_ and _Revenge_ can const.i.tute the Parts of a _Devil_, why should not a Lady of such Quality, in whom all those Extraordinaries abound, have a Right to the t.i.tle of being a _Devil_ really and substantially, and to all Intents and Purposes, in the most perfect and absolute Sense, according to the most exquisite Descriptions of Devils already given by me or any Body else; and even just as _Joan_ of _Arc_, or _Joan_ Queen of _Naples_ were, who were both sent home to their native Country, as soon as it was discovered that they were real _Devils_, and that _Satan_ acknowledg'd them in that Quality.

Nor does my Lady D----ss's wearing sometimes a Case of Humanity about her, call'd _Flesh and Blood_, at all alter the Case; for so 'tis Evident, according to our present Hypothesis, _Satan_ has been always allow'd to do, upon urgent Occasions; ay, and to make his Personal Appearance as such, among even the Sons and Daughters of G.o.d too, as well as among the Children of Men; and therefore _her Grace_ may have appeared in the Shape of a fine Lady, as long as she has been suppos'd to do, without any Impeachment of her just Claim to the t.i.tle of _Devil_; which being her true and natural Original, she ought not, nor indeed shall not, by me, be denied her Shapes of Honour, whenever she pleases to declare for a Re-a.s.sumption.

And farther, to give every Truth its due Ill.u.s.tration, this need not be thought so strange; and is far from being unjust; _her Grace_ (as she, it may be, is now stiled) has not acted, at least that I never heard of, so unworthy her great and ill.u.s.trious Original, that we should think she has lost any thing by walking about the World so many Years in Apparition: But to give her the due Homage of her Quality, she has acted as consonant to the Essence and Nature of _Devil_, which she has such a Claim to, as was consistent with the needful Reserve of her present Disguise.

Nor shall we lead the Reader into any Mistake concerning this part of our Work, as if this was or is meant to be a particular Satyr upon the D-----ss of -----------, and upon her only, as if we had no DEVILS among us in the Phenomena of fair Ladies, but this one: If Satan would be so honest to us as he might be (and 'twou'd be very ingenuous in him, that must be acknowledg'd, to give us a little of his Illumination in this Case) we should soon be able to unmasque a great many notable Figures among us, to our real Surprize.

Indeed 'tis a Point worth our further Enquiry, and would be a Discovery many ways to our Advantage, were we bless'd with it, to see how many real _Devils_ we have walking up and down the World in Masque, and how many Hoop-Petticoats compleat the entire Masque that disguises the Devil in the Shape of that Thing call'd Woman.

As for the Men, Nature has satisfied her self in letting them be their own Disguise, and in suffering them to act the _old Women_, as old Women are vulgarly understood, in Matters of Council and Politicks; but if at any time they have Occasion for the _Devil_ in Person, they are oblig'd to call him to their Aid in such Shape as he pleases to make use of _pro hac vice_; and of all those Shapes, the most agreeable to him seems to be that of a Female of Quality, in which he has infinite Opportunity to act to Perfection, what Part soever he is call'd in for.

How happy are those People who they say have the particular Quality, or acquir'd Habit, call'd the _Second Sight_; one Sort of whom they tell us are able to distinguish the _Devil_, in whatever Case or Outside of Flesh and Blood he is pleas'd to put on, and consequently could know the _Devil_ wherever they met him? Were I blest with this excellent and useful Accomplishment, how pleasant would it be, and how would it particularly gratify my Spleen, and all that which I, in common with my fellow Creatures carry about me, call'd Ill-Nature, to stand in the _Mall_, or at the Entrance to any of our _a.s.semblies of Beauties_, and point them out as they pa.s.s by, with this particular Mark, That's a _Devil_; that fine young Toast is a _Devil_; There's a _Devil_ drest in a new Habit for the Ball; There's a _Devil_ in a Coach and Six, _c.u.m aliis_. In short, it would make a merry World among us if we cou'd but enter upon some proper Method of such Discriminations: but, _Lawr'd_, what a Hurricane would it raise, if, like -------, who they say scourg'd the _Devil_ so often that he durst not come near him in any Shape whatever, we cou'd find some new Method out to make the _Devil_ unmask, like the Angel _Uriel_, who, Mr. _Milton_ says, had an enchanted Spear, with which if he did but touch the _Devil_, in whatever Disguise he had put on, it oblig'd him immediately to start up, and shew himself in his true original Shape, mere _Devil_ as he was.

This would do nicely, and as I who am originally a Projector, have spent some Time upon this Study, and doubt not in a little Time to finish my Engine, which I am contriving, to screw the _Devil_ out of every Body, or any Body; I question not when I have brought it to Perfection, but I shall make most excellent Discoveries by it; and besides the many extraordinary Advantages of it to human Society, I doubt not but it will make good Sport in the World too; wherefore, when I publish my Proposals, and divide it into Shares, as other less useful Projects have been done, I question not, for all the severe Act lately pa.s.s'd against Bubbles, but I shall get Subscribers enough, _&c._

In a Word, a secret Power of discovering what Devils we have among us, and where and what Business they are doing, would be a vast Advantage to us all; that we might know among the Crowd of _Devils_ that walk about Streets, who are _Apparitions_, and who are not.

Now I, you must know, at certain Intervals when the Old Gentleman's Illuminations are upon me, and when I have something of an _Eclariciss.e.m.e.nt_ with him, have some Degrees of this discriminating _Second Sight_, and therefore 'tis no strange thing for me to tell a great many of my Acquaintance that they are really _Devils_, when they themselves know nothing of the Matter: Sometimes indeed I find it pretty hard to convince them of it, or at least they are very unwilling to own it, but it is not the less so for that.

I had a long Discourse upon this Subject one day, with a young beautiful Lady of my Acquaintance, who the World very much admired; and as the World judges no farther than they can see, (and how should they, you would say) they took her to be, as she really was, a most charming Creature.

To me indeed she discover'd her self many Ways, besides the Advantage I had of my extraordinary Penetration by the magic Powers which I am vested with: To me, _I say_, she appear'd a Fury, a Satyr, a fiery little Fiend as could possibly be dress'd up in Flesh; in short, she appear'd to me what really she was, a very DEVIL: It is natural to human Creatures to desire to discover any extraordinary Powers they are possess'd of superior to others, and this Itch prevailing in me, among the rest, I was impatient to let this Lady know that I understood her Composition perfectly well, nay, as well as she did her self.

In order to this, happening to be in the Family once for some Days, and having the Honour to be very intimate with her and her Husband too, I took an Opportunity on an extraordinary Occasion, when she was in the Height of good Humour, to talk with her; You must note, that as I said, the Lady was in an extraordinary good Humour, and there had been a great deal of Mirth in the Family for some Days; but one Evening, Sir _E----_ her Husband, upon some very sharp Turn she gave to another Gentleman, which made all the Company pleasant, run to her, and with a Pa.s.sion of good Humour takes her in his Arms, and turning to me, says he, Jack, This Wife of mine is full of Wit and good Humour, but when she has a Mind to be smart, she is the keenest little _Devil_ in the World: This was alluding to the quick Turn she had given the other Gentleman.

Is that the best Language you can give your Wife, says my Lady? O Madam, says I, such _Devils_ as you, are all _Angels_; ay, ay, says my Lady, I know that, he has only let a Truth fly out that he does not understand: Look ye there now, _says Sir_ Edward, could any thing but such a dear _Devil_ as this have said a thing so pointed? Well, well, adds he, _Devil_ to a Lady in a Man's Arms, is a Word of divers Interpretations.

Thus they rallied for a good while, he holding her fast all the while in his Arms, and frequently kissing her, and at last it went off, all in Sunshine and Mirth.

But the next Day, for I had the Honour to lodge in the Lady's Father's House, where it all happen'd; I say, the next Day my Lady begins with me upon the Subject, and that very smartly, so that first I did not know whether she was in jest or earnest: Ay, ay, _says she_, you Men make nothing of your Wives after you have them, _alluding to the Discourse with_ Sir Edward _the Night before_.

Why Madam, says I, _we Men_, as you are pleas'd to term it, if we meet with good Wives worship them, and make Idols of them, what would you have more of us?

No, no, says she, before you have them they are Angels, but when you have been in Heaven, _adds she and smil'd_, then they are Devils.

Why Madam, _says I_, Devils are Angels, you know, and were the highest Sort of Angels once.

Yes, _says she_, very smartly, all _Devils_ are Angels, but all Angels are not _Devils_.

But Madam, _says I_, you should never take it ill to be call'd _Devil_, you know.

I know, _says she_, hastily, what d'ye mean by that?

Why Madam, _says I_, and look'd very gravely and serious, I thought you had known that I knew it, or else I would not have said so, for I would not offend you; but you may depend I shall never discover it, unless you order me to do so for your particular Service.

Upon this she look'd hard and wild, and bid me explain my self.

I told her, I was ready to explain my self, if she would give me her Word, she would not resent it, and would take nothing ill.

She gave me her word solemnly she would not, tho' like a true _Devil_ she broke her Promise with me all at once.

Well however, being unconcern'd whether she kept her Word or no, I began, by telling her that I had not long since obtain'd the second sight, and had some years studied Magic, by which I could penetrate into many things, which to ordinary Perception were invisible, and had some Gla.s.ses, by the Help of which I could see into all visionary or imaginary Appearances in a different Manner than other People did.

Very well, _says she_, suppose you can, what's that to me?

I told her it was nothing to her any further than that as she knew her self to be originally not the same Creature she seem'd to be, but was of a sublime angelic Original; so by the Help of my recited Art I knew it too, and so far it might relate to her.

Very fine, says she, so you would make a _Devil_ of me indeed.

I took that Occasion to tell her, I would make nothing of her but what she was; that I suppos'd she knew well enough G.o.d Almighty never thought fit to make any human Creature so perfect and compleatly beautiful as she was, but that such were also reserved for Figures to be a.s.sum'd by Angels of one Kind or other.

She rallied me upon that, and told me that would not bring me off, for I had not determined her for any thing Angelic, but a meer _Devil_; and how could I flatter her with being handsome and a _Devil_ both at the same time?

I told her, as Satan, whom we abusively call'd _Devil_, was an immortal Seraph, and of an original angelic Nature, so abstracted from any thing wicked, he was a most glorious Being; that when he thought fit to encase himself with Flesh, and walk about in Disguise, it was in his Power equally with the other Angels to make the Form he took upon himself be as he thought fit, beautiful or deform'd.

Here she disputed the Possibility of that, and after charging me faintly with flattering her Face, told me the Devil could not be represented by any thing handsome, alledging our constant picturing the _Devil_ in all the frightful Appearances imaginable.

I told her we wrong'd him very much in that, and quoted St. _Francis_, to whom the _Devil_ frequently appeared in the Form of the most incomparably beautiful naked Woman, to allure him, and what Means he used to turn the Appearance into a _Devil_ again, and how he effected it.