[Satan’s Invisible World Contents]
IN the time of ignorance and superstition, when the darkness of Paganism was not dispelled by Gospel light; Spirits keept a more familiar converse with families, and even in the time of Popery, what was more frequent in houses than Brownies whom they employed in many services. It were unseasonable and tedious, to rehearse all the Stories, which have been told of Brownies, and Pharies, commonly called our Good-Neighbours, how there was a King and Queen of Pharie, of such a Court, and train, as they had, and how they had the teind and dutie, as it were of all corns, flesh, and meale, how they rode and went alongs the sides of hills, all in Green apparel. I verily believe many have seen such spectres, but what were they? Nothing but the delusion of the Senses of sundry simple people, whom the Devil made believe they did see and hear such things. Browny was a Spirit, that haunted divers houses, (familiarly) without doing any evil, but doing necessary turns up and down the house, and frequently was found working in the Barn, threashing the corn in the night time, who appeared like a rough hairy man. Such then was the ignorance of many, that they believed their house was all the sonsier that Browny was about it. As K. J. says in his Demonology.
I will not speak of ridiculous Friets, such as our meeting with a Lucky or unlucky foot, when we are going about important business; these unquestionably are the Devils lessons for the most part, and a denying of Gods Providenee. The practise of the Heathen was to attribute good or evil luke to the slying of Birds as Virgil sayes, Saepe sinistra cava praedixit ab ilice Cornix [Often the ill-omened crow warned me from the hollow oak.].
Whether there be any Magie in the practise of some young Women too curious, who upon Allhallow even goe to bed without speaking to any, having first eaten a cake made of soot, and dreaming, see in their sleep, the man that shall be their husband, I shall not determine. But it looks like a very bad practise. I heard of a Woman, who dipt her smock in South-running-water, on that night, and hanged it up before the fire to dry. One comes in, in the likeness of the man, who was to be her husband, and turns it, and went immediately to the Bed, where she was attending the event, and kist her. It seems she did not believe it was the Devil. To speak of the second sight I cannot, till fuller information be given. I am undoubtedly informed that men & Women in the Highlands can discern fatality approaching others by seeing them in Waters or with winding-sheets about them. And that others can lecture in a sheeps shoulder bone a death within the Parish, seven or eight days before it come. It is not improbable but that such preternatural knowledge comes first by a compact with the Devil and is derived downward by succession to their posterity, many of such I suppose, are innocent, and have this Sight against their will and inclination.
Charms and Spells have been first taught to men and Women in confederacy with the Devil, many of which are received by Tradition, and used by Witches and ignorant persons too. The vertue of curing, must be from the Devils, active invisible application of them, to such or such a disease, as the curing of an Universal Gout by this unintelligible Charm.
_____Etter sheen etter sock, Et ta leur etta pachk Wipper si caan easemitter in shi, fo leish in shi corne, orn sheip twa till ane curht mach a mainshore.
There is in some part of Galloway a Charm for curing a disease called the Ling, in these words, Cathari Duni Chini Brini. Another there is, which some use for effectuating that, which others do by casting three knots, far si far, fa far fay u, far four na forty Kay u Mack straik it a pain four hun creig weil Mack smeoran bun bagie. Tis language cannot be interpreted.
Besides this, there are Prayers and Avies among the Highlanders, wherein they think, there lays great vertue, as in repeating the Lords Prayer in Latine thus.
_____Paidder nohter kish in sheali sanctishetar noman du, ta renada, ta langa tu, quidi honum aicht in dearrich, an dingas, an dangis, a nipis a nopis, nduramis indaramis, indittimis, indattamis, shecli sheclorum, Amen.
Their Avi Mary runs thus.
_____Avi Mari crashi plena du na tekamis penedicata tus anti willi yeramis, Penidicata rucata shendri Esum Chrisum Amen.
At night in the time of Popery when
Folks wen to Bed, they believed the
repetition of this following Prayer
was effectual to preserve them
from danger, and the
house too.
Who sains the house the night,
They that sains it ilk a night:
Saint Bryde and her Brat,
Saint Colme and his Hat.
Saint Michael and his Spear,
Keep this house from the Wear.
From running Thief,
And burning Thief;
And from a ill Rea,
That be the Gate can gae,
And from an ill wight,
That be the gate can light.
Nine reeds about the house;
Keep it all the Night,
What is that what I see,
So red so bright beyond the sea?
‘Tis he was peirc’d through the hands,
Throw the feet, throw the throat,
Throw the tongue;
Throw the liver and the lung.
Well is them that well may,
Fast on Good-Fryday.
Another Prayer used by the Thieves and
Robers on the Borders after Meat,
in order to stealling from their
Neighbours.
He that ordain’d us to be born,
Send us maire meat or the morn,
Part of’t right and part of’t wrang,
God let us never fast ov’r lang,
God be thanked and our Ladie,
All is done that we had ready.
A Countrey man in East Lothian
used this Grace always before and
after Meat.
Lord be blest for all his Gifts
I defy the Devil and all his shifts
God send me mair Silver, Amen.
As the Devil is originally the Author of Charms, and Spells, so is he the Author of several baudy Songs, which are sung. A reverend Minister told me, that one who was the Devils Piper, a wizzard confest to him, that at a Ball of dancing, the Foul Spirit taught him a Baudy song to sing and play, as it were this night, and ere two days past all the Lads and Lasses of the town were lilting it throw the street. It were abomination to rehearse it.
