I RECEIVED yours dated May 24th, 1694, in which you desire me to
send you some instances and examples of Transportation by an Invisible
Power. The true cause of my delaying so long, to reply to that letter,
was not want of kindness; but of fit materials for such a reply.
As soon as I read your letter of May 24, I called to mind, a story
which I heard long ago, concerning one of the Lord Duffus, (in the
shire of Murray) his predicessors of whom it is reported, that upon a
time, when he was walking abroad in the fields near to his own house,
he was suddenly carried away, and found the next day at Paris in the
French King's cellar, with a silver cup in his hand; that being
brought into the King's presence and questioned by him, who he was ?
and how he came thither ? he told his name, his country, and the place
of his residence, and that on such a day of the month (which proved to
be the day immediately preceding) being in the fields, he heard the
noise of a whirl-wind, and of voices crying Horse and Hattock, (this
is the word which the fairies are said to use when they remove from
any place) whereupon he cried (Horse and Hattock) also, and was
immediately caught up, and transported through the air, by the fairies
to that place, where after he had drank heartily he fell asleep, and
before he awoke, the rest of the company were gone, and had left him
in posture wherein he was found. It is said, the King gave him the cup
which was found in his hand, and dismissed him.
This story (if it could be sufficiently attested) would be a noble
instance for your purpose, for which cause I was at some pains to
enquire into the truth of it, and found the means to get the present
Lord Duffus's opinion thereof; which shortly is, that there has been,
and is such a tradition, but that he thinks it fabulous; this account
of it, his Lordship had from his father, who told him that he had it
from his father, the present Lord's grandfather; there is yet an old
silver cup in his Lordship's possession still, which is called the
Fairy Cup; but has nothing engraven upon it, except the arms of the
family.
The gentleman, by whose means I came to know the Lord Duffus's
sentiment of the foregoing story, being tutor to his Lordship's eldest
son, told me another little passage of the same nature, whereof he was
an eye witness. He reports, that when he was a boy at school in the
town of Torres, yet not so young, but that he had years and
capacity, both to observe and remember that which fell out; he and his
school-fellows were upon a time whipping their tops in the church-yard
before the door of the church; though the day was calm, they heard a
noise of a wind, and at some distance saw the small dust begin to
arise and turn round, which motion continued, advancing till it came
to the place where they were; whereupon they began to bless
themselves: but one of their number (being it seems a little more
bold and confident than his companions) said, Horse and Hattock with
my top, and immediately they all saw the top lifted up from the
ground; but could not see what way it was carried, by reason of a
cloud of dust which was raised at the same time: they sought for the
top all about the place where it was taken up, but in vain; and it was
found afterwards in the church-yard, on the other side of the church.
Mr. Steward (so is the gentleman called) declared to me that he had a
perfect remembrance of this matter.
The following account I received, November last, from Mr. Alexander
Mowat, a person of great integrity and judgment, who being minister at
the church at Lesley, in the shire of Aberdene, was turned out for
refusing the oath of test, anno 1681. He informs, that he heard the
late Earl of Caithness, who was married to a daughter of the late
Marquis of Argyle, tell the following story, viz. That upon a time,
when a vessel which his Lordship kept for bringing home wine and other
provisions for his house, was at sea; a common fellow, who was reputed
to have the second-sight, being occasionally at his house; the Earl
enquired of him, where his men (meaning those in the ship) were at
that present time ? the fellow replied, at such a place, by name,
within four hours sailing of the harbour, which was not far from the
place of his Lordship's residence: the Earl asked, what evidence he
could give for that ? the other replied, that he had lately been at
the place, and had brought away with him one of the seamen's caps,
which he delivered to his Lordship. At the four hours end, the Earl
went down himself to the harbour, where he found the ship newly
arrived, and in it one of the seamen without his cap; who being
questioned, how he came to lose his cap ? answered, that at such a
place (the same the second-sighted man had named before) there arose a
whirl-wind which endangered the ship, and carried away his cap: the
Earl asked, if he would know his cap when he saw it ? he said he
would; whereupon the Earl produced the cap, and the seaman owned it
for that, which was taken from him.
This is all the information which I can give at present concerning
Transportation by an Invisible Power. I am sorry that I am able to
contribute so little to the publishing of so curious a piece as it
seems your collection of Hermetick Philosophy will be. I have given
instructions to an acquaintance of mine now living at Kirkwall, and
took him engaged when he left this place, to inform him concerning the
old stone monuments, the plants and cures in the Orcades, and to send
me an account. But I have not heard from him as yet, though I caused a
friend that was writing to him, to put him in mind of his promise; the
occasions of correspondence betwixt this place and Orkney are very
rare.
SIR,
Your faithful affectionate friend
And servant,
J. G.