CHAPTER III SUPERSTITION Horatio. O day and night, but this is wondrous strange! There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Hamlet, I. v. 164-167 O! these flaws and starts Impostors to true fear-would well become A woman's story at a winter's fire, Authoriz'd by her grandam. Macbeth, III. iv. 63-66 §1. The nature of superstition Superstition is godless religion, devout impiety. The superstitious is fond in observation, servile in fear: he worships God, but as he lists: he gives God what he asks not, more than he asks, and all but what he should give; and makes more sins than the ten commandments. This man dares not stir forth, till his breast be crossed and his face sprinkled. If but a hare cross him the way, he returns; or, if his journey began unawares on the dismal day; or, if he stumbled at the threshold. If he see a snake unkilled, he fears a mischief: if the salt fall towards him, he looks pale and red, and is not quiet, till one of the waiters have poured wine on his lap: and when he sneezeth, thinks them not his friends that uncover not. In the morning, he listens whether the crow crieth even or odd; and, by that token, presages of the weather. If he hear but a raven croak from the next roof, he makes his will; or, if a bittour fly over his head by night: but, if his troubled fancy shall second his thoughts with the dream of a fair garden, or green rushes, or the salutation of a dead friend, he takes leave of the world, and says he cannot live. He will never set to sea but on a Sunday; neither ever goes without an Erra Pater in his pocket. St. Paul's day, and St. Swithin's, with the Twelve, are his oracles; which he dares believe against the almanac. When he lies sick on his death-bed, no sin troubles him so much, as that he did once eat flesh on a Friday: no repentance can expiate that; the rest need none. There is no dream of his, without an interpretation, without a prediction; and, if the event answer not his exposition, he expounds it according to the event. Every dark grove and pictured wall strikes him with an awful, but carnal devotion. Old wives and stars are his counsellors: his nightspell is his guard; and charms, his physicians. He wears Paracelsian characters for the toothache: and a little hallowed wax is his antidote for all evils. This man is strangely credulous; and calls impossible things, miraculous. If he hear that some sacred block speaks, moves, weeps, smiles, his bare feet carry him thither with an offering; and, if a danger miss him in the way, his saint hath the thanks. Some ways he will not go; and some he dares not: either there are bugs, or he feigneth them: every lantern is a ghost, and every noise is of chains. He knows not why, but his custom is to go a little about, and to leave the cross still on the right-hand. One event is enough to make a rule: out of these rules he concludes fashions, proper to himself; and nothing can turn him out of his own course. If he have done his task, he is safe: it matters not, with what affection. Finally, if God would let him be the carver of his own obedience, he could not have a better subject: as he is, he cannot have a worse. JOSEPH HALL, Characters of Vertues and Vices 1608 The spirit that I have seen May be the devil: and the devil hath power As he is very potent with such spirits Abuses me to damn me. Hamlet, 11. ii. 635-640 Many through melancholy do imagine, that they see or hear visions, spirits, ghosts, strange noises, &c. as I have already proved before, at large. Many again through fear proceeding from a cowardly nature and complexion, or from an effeminate and fond bringing up, are timorous and afraid of spirits, and bugs, &c. Some through imperfection of sight also are afraid of their own shadows, and (as Aristotle saith) see themselves sometimes as it were in a glass. And some through weakness of body have such imperfect imaginations. Drunken men also sometimes suppose they see trees walk, &c.: according to that which Solomon saith to the drunkards: "Thine eyes shall see strange visions, and marvellous appearances." REGINALD SCOT, The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584 §2. Ghosts and Spirits Ghosts, wandering here and there, Troop home to churchyards: damned spirits all, For fear lest day should look their shames upon, They wilfully themselves exile from light, And must for aye consort with black-brow'd night. How many stories and books are written of walking spirits and souls of men, contrary to the word of God, a reasonable volume cannot contain. How common an opinion was it among the papists, that all souls walked on the earth, after they departed from their bodies? In so much as it was in the time of popery a usual matter to desire sick people in their death beds, to appear to them after their death, and to reveal their estate. The fathers and ancient doctors of the church were too credulous herein, &c. Therefore no marvel, though the common simple sort of men, and least of all that women be deceived herein. God in times past did send down visible angels and appearances to men; but now he doth not so. Through ignorance of late in religion, it was thought that every churchyard swarmed with souls and spirits: but now the word of God being more free, open, and known, those conceits and illusions are made more manifest and apparent.... And first you shall understand, that they hold that all the souls in heaven may come down and appear to us when they list, and assume any body saving their own: otherwise (say they) such souls should not be perfectly happy. They say that you may know the good souls from the bad very easily. For a damned hath a very heavy and sour look; but a saint's soul hath a cheerful and a merry countenance: these also are white and shining, the other coal black. And these damned souls also may come up out of hell at their pleasure; although Abraham made Dives believe the contrary. They affirm that damned souls walk oftenest: next unto them the souls of purgatory; and most seldom the souls of saints. Also they say that in the old law souls did appear seldom; and after doomsday they shall never be seen more: in the time of grace they shall be most frequent. The walking of these souls (saith Michael Andreas) is a most excellent argument for the proof of purgatory: for (saith he) those souls have testified that which the popes have affirmed in that behalf; to wit, that there is not only such a place of punishment, but that they are released from thence by masses, and such other satisfactory works; whereby the goodness of the mass is also ratified and confirmed. These heavenly and purgatory souls (say they) appear most commonly to them that are born upon ember days, and they also walk most usually on those ember days: because we are in best state at that time to pray for the one, and to keep company with the other. Also they say, that souls appear oftenest by night; because men may then be at best leisure, and most quiet. Also they never appear to the whole multitude, seldom to a few, and most commonly to one alone: for so one may tell a lie without controlment. Also they are oftenest seen by them that are ready to die. REGINALD SCOT, The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584 Exorcism I charge thee, Satan, hous'd within this man, The Comedy of Errors, Iv. iv. 56-59 If a soul wander in the likeness of a man or woman by night, molesting men, with bewailing their torments in purgatory, by reason of tithes forgotten, &c.: and neither masses nor conjurations can help; the exorcist in his ceremonial apparel must go to the tomb of that body, and spurn thereat with his foot, saying: "Vade ad gehennam, Get thee packing to hell" and by and by the soul goeth thither, and there remaineth for ever. REGINALD SCOT, The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584 §3. Witchcraft What are these, So wither'd and so wild in their attire, That look not like th' inhabitants o' the earth, And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught That man may question? You seem to understand me, Upon her skinny lips: you should be women, First Witch. Second Witch. First Witch. Third Witch. First Witch. Macbeth, 1. iii. 39-47 Though his bark cannot be lost, Yet it shall be tempest-tost. Macbeth, 1. iii. 8-25 [It is well-known that Macbeth was written for the eye of King James. The following account of actual doings in Scotland seems to throw light upon Shakespeare's description of the witches.] Within the town of Trenent, in the kingdom of Scotland, there dwelleth one David Seaton, who, being deputy bailiff in the said town, had a maid called Geillis Duncane, who used secretly to absent and lie forth of her master's house every other night. This Geillis Duncane took in hand to help all such as were troubled or grieved with any kind of sickness or infirmity, and in short space did perform many matters most miraculous; which things, for as much as she began to do them upon a sudden, having never done the like before, made her master and others to be in great admiration, and wondered thereat: by means whereof, the said David Seaton had his |