_MADAM,_
If you desire my opinion concerning Witches, whereof your Learned
_Author_ hath many Discourses and Stories:[1] I will tell you really,
that in my sense and reason, I do not believe any, except it be the
witch of _Endor_, which the Scripture makes mention of; for though I
believe that there is a Devil, as the Word of God and the Church inform
me, yet I am not of the opinion, that God should suffer him to have
such a familiar conjunction, and make such contracts with Man, as to
impower him to do mischief and hurt to others, or to foretell things
to come, and the like; for I believe that all things Immaterial, as
Spirits, Angels, Devils, and the divine Soul of Man, are no parts of
Nature, but Supernatural, Nature knowing of no Creature that belongs to
her, but what is material; and since incorporeal Creatures are no parts
of Nature, they neither have natural actions, nor are they concerned
as co-partners or co-agents in the actions of Nature and natural
Creatures; but as their substances, so their actions are supernatural,
and beyond our conceivement. As for Faires, I will not say, but there
may be such Creatures in Nature, and have airy bodies, and be of a
humane shape, and have humane actions, as I have described in my Book
of Poems; for there are many things, in Nature, whereof Man hath no
knowledg at all, and it would be a great folly for any one to deny what
he doth not see, or to ascribe all the unusual effects in Nature to
Immaterial Spirits; for Nature is so full of variety, that she can and
doth present sometimes such figures to our exterior senses, as are
not familiar to us, so as we need not to take our refuge to Immaterial
Spirits: nay, even those that are so much for Incorporeal Spirits,
must confess, that they cannot be seen in their own natures, as being
Invisible, and therefore have need to take vehicles of some grosser
bodies to manifest themselves to men: and if Spirits cannot appear
without bodies, the neerest way is to ascribe such unusual effects or
apparitions, as happen sometimes, rather to matter that is already
corporeal, and not to go so far as to draw Immaterial Spirits to
Natural actions, and to make those Spirits take vehicles fit for their
purposes: for Nature takes sometimes delight in unusual Varieties.
Concerning those stories which your _Author_ relates[2] of the strange
effects of Food received into a mans body, how they did work upon the
Imagination, and change and transform the humors of those that did feed
upon them, those, I say, seem very probable to me. As for example;
of a _Wench who being struck into an Epilepsy, upon the seeing of a
Malefactors Head cut off, was advised to drink Cats-blood; which being
done, she not long after degenerated into the nature and property of
that Animal, cried and jump'd like a Cat, and hunted Mice with the
same silence and watchfulness as they do. Then of a Man, being long
fed with Swines-blood, which took a special pleasure in wallowing and
tumbling himself in the mire. Also of a Girle, which being nourished
up with Goats-milk, would skip like a Goat, and brouze on Trees as
Goats use to do. And of a Man, who by eating the brains of a Bear,
became of a Bear-like disposition._ All these stories I believe to be
true; for naturally the motions of a Man may sometimes Sympathize so
much with the received food, as to make an alteration in his humour
or disposition. But although it be natural, yet it is not regular, at
least not usual, but proceeds from an irregular and unusual change of
motions, like as the conception and generation of a Monster; For if
it were ordinary, then those which drink much of the blood of beasts,
would also degenerate into a beastly nature, the contrary whereof
is sufficiently known: Likewise those that drink much of Cows-milk,
would change into their humors and natures. But certainly, some
kinds of meats do not onely cause sickness, but madness, and strange
Imaginations; all which unnatural or unusual accidents are caused by
Matter's irregular motions; Whereof I have declared my opinion in other
places; and so I rest,
Madam,
_Your faithful and constant_
_Friend, to serve you._
[1] _Antid. lib._ 3.
[2] _In his discourse of Enthusiasm._