move either of them or their chairs. When taken with the fits in bed, no efforts, however great, are found sufficient to detach the bed-clothes, which adhere around them in all directions, whether removed from the bed, or permitted to be there. We could add many other remarkable circumstances, but forbear, lest our readers should deem us the too willing dupes of credulity. Enough, however, is mentioned to stimulate curiosity; and we apprehend that the parties are ready to verify the whole in any manner that may be required. Superstition, as usual, ascribes these remarkable exhibitions to the satanic arts of an old woman in the vicinity, whose persecution of one of the children, arising from a very trivial cause, has been marked and virulent. We feel it our duty, as the narrators of passing events, to give the foregoing relation, which we do on unexceptionable authority. If true, and we have no reason whatever, as far as respectable human testimony goes, to doubt its authenticity, it presents an interesting theme for philosophical inquiry in the wonderous history of man; and cannot but induce many to undertake the task of investigation, for which purpose we can furnish the proper references."

Here was a public request for philosophical investigation, and respectable references were offered to to any one that would scrutinize the case. Very strange facts were well attested, on purpose to provoke the learned, and to invite the zealous to examine them. On physical principles, these facts were utterly unaccountable. The suffering family, and their neighbours, attributed the strange effects they saw to a satanic cause. From very suspicious circumstances, such as the unnatural and exquisite tortures which the children endured, declaratively under a certain person's infliction, though absent; their supernatural knowledge of that person's actions and circumstances; and their

*

vomiting up crooked pins, &c.; they concluded it was witchcraft; and no person came forward, at the loud and public cry of the neighbourhood, who was able to prove that it was not. If there was a sceptical philosopher in the land that could

*It is justly due to public faith and truth, to state on what evidence these assertions are founded. The writer never saw those four children while under the influence of their dreadful malady, though he has seen two of them since their recovery. He also saw, soon after its rejection, one of the crooked pins, which was taken with scrupulous caution from the mouth of one of the children, while straining to discharge the contents of her nauseated stomach into a clean white bason, provided on purpose, for strict examination by a relation who was doubtful of the possibility of such a case. And the crooked pin was sent to another relation in Dock, as a curiosity for the manner in which it is bent, and as a confirmation of that truth which he was reluctant to believe. The Facts which are here alluded to, in addition to these mentioned in the public Papers, the writer was assured of chiefly by Mr. Kennard himself, the Father of the Children, whose testimony was confirmed by one of his relations, and by a Gentleman who went to Loddeswell on purpose to examine the foundation for the public report. They are all persons of conscientious, well-known veracity, who could have no motive, and whose souls would abhor to deceive their friends and the public. For either the writer or the read. er to impute to them a design to deceive, would be to impose upon himself. Mr. K. is not only a professor of religion, of the Baptist persuasion, he is also a Lay Preacher of the Gospel. He therefore has not only the common motives of religion not to deceive his neighbours, but his public character lays an additional obligation upon him, to speak the Truth, and nothing but the Truth. He has not clandestinely wispered these things about, with any selfish design; but with a kind intention to direct his fellow sufferers how to find relief, he has openly declared them in the simplicity and grief of his heart, and no man has been able to contradict him, or to prove him mistaken. As to his knowledge, or ability to distinguish the real nature of his family affliction, I apprehend he knows very little of those Philosophical Theories with which learned men have contradicted one another and perplexed themselves on these subjects; but long and painful experience has made him wise. And in this instance it seems the old adage is exemplified: "The Mecha nic is wiser than the Philosopher.

prove these effects were produced by another cause; that neither Satan, nor satanic arts can occasion such mischief; that the "sin of witchcraft," instead of being a wicked "work of the flesh," is only a vulgar error of imagination; last February was a very favourable time for him to have proved his point. Then he should have brought this reputed superstition to the bar of examination, and tried if he could justly put out of existence that old troublesome witness of a spiritual world: a troublesome witness which, however unwilling, was, by learned men in former days, brought forward to confute the materialist, to condemn the atheist, and to prove to all men the absolute necessity of an Almighty Saviour, and the christian religion. Whether all who declare there can be no such thing as witchcraft were gone a hunting, on a journey, or asleep, or afraid, I cannot tell; but this is certain-they were loudly and publicly called upon, and there was no answer. The troubled family, and their neighbours, were reluctantly left in full and painful conviction that their calamities were occasioned by witchcraft.

The regular medical practice had long been tried in vain; and then, at length, when other means were despaired of, relief was sought, as in these days in such cases it generally is, from some professor of the occult sciences, the "Curious Arts;" (Acts xix. 19.) or, according to the profession, "The Astrological practice of Physic." And on the principles of these curious arts, "the evil influence was counteracted;" and, in the course of some time, the sufferers were relieved. This astrological mode of cure, gave still more grievous evidence of the evil nature of the case. This was not a solitary instance of witchcraft in that neighbourhood: other families were similarly afflicted, and similarly relieved. However unaccountable in their nature and circumstances, as matters of fact they were too notorious to be contradicted.

The astrological practice of physic, i.e. magie combined with medicine, in these cases especially, is, to all who understand its nature, on scriptural principles, most seriously objectionable. And as many people, and some even professedly religious persons, in such seasons of trouble and temptation, apply to these magical or astrological practices for relief, while infinitely better means are within every christian's reach. To all who may suffer from a similar cause, and to all whom it may concern, the writer is anxious to point out a certain, justifiable, christian, divinely appointed, sacredly authorized, and recently exemplified mode of relief. The objectionable nature of the astrological practice of physic, &c., will be afterwards considered.

A general discussion on witchcraft, is not our present business: but as John Evans's malady was, by very many, attributed to this cause, it would be improper to pass it over in silence. That such an evil exists, in this day, and in this county, (Devonshire) is, I fear, too evident to be disproved. Had no other special evidence of the existence of such a diabolical art come under the writer's notice, he would have believed the general fact, because the Holy Bible asserts it. There may have been ten thousand counterfeit cases, but there must have been some true, or God would never have said so. What if many have presumed to contradict the holy book of God; shall the sinner's unbelief disannul the veracity of God?-by no means. Let God be true, but every man a liar."

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Profane history universally corroborates the truth of the sacred; and modern facts expose the vanity of modern contradiction. Vulgar ignorance has attributed many things to witchcraft which ought to have been otherwise accounted for: and learned ignorance has done worse, when, in its opposition to the vulgar, it has contradicted infinite wisdom, and made such broad assertions as it can never possibly prove

Demoniacal possession is nearly allied to witchcraft in its afflicting natur, its spiritual agency, and its mortal effects. In either case, it is diabolical influence that effects the evil. In witchcraft, the wicked one has human accomplices, who urge, and in some instances, assist him to do that which he is

too ready to do of himself. That gracious power which binds the great adversary, and destroys his work, is the sovereign remedy for both these evils. The name and power of Jesus Christ will defeat all the combined powers of darkness. God has informed us of the evil; and has given us the perfect remedy in that great Salvation which he has prepared before the face of all people. Some men oppose this wise and gracious plan: they deny the existence of the evil, and neglect, if not despise, the remedy:They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. "Sometimes," says Bishop Wilson,

we are apt to ascribe too much to the power of evil spirits, and to be too much afraid of those whom we suspect to have dealings with them. And sometimes we despise them, and their power, as if we had nothing to fear from them.-We are in the wrong in both these extremes."

"To deny the possibility, nay, the actual existence of witchcraft and sorcery," says the learned and honourable Judge Blackstone, "is at once flatly to contradict the revealed word of God, in various passages both of the old and new Testaments; and the thing itself is a truth to which every nation in the world hath in its turn borne testimony, either by examples seemingly well attested, or by prohibitory laws which at least suppose the possibility of a commerce with evil spirits." (Blackstone's Commentaries. Vol. iv. p. 60. 10th Ed. 1787.)

"So many laws argue so many sins," whether in ancient or in modern times. That this nation was in former days infected with witches and conjurers,