The History of the Devil Part 21

What abundant Use did that Prince of Dissemblers, _Charles_ V. make of this Foot? 'twas by the Help of this Apparition of the Foot that he baited his Hook with the City of _Milan_, and tickled _Francis_ I. of _France_ so well with it, that when he pa.s.s'd thro' _France_, and was in that King's Power, he let him go, and never get the Bait off of the Hook neither; it Seems the _Foot_ was not on King _Francis_'s Side at that Time.

How cruelly did _Philip_ II. of _Spain_ manage this Foot in the Murther of the n.o.bility of the _Spanish Netherlands_, the a.s.sa.s.sination of the Prince of _Orange_, and at last: in that of his own Son _Don Carlos_ Infant of _Spain_? and yet such was the _Devil_'s Craft, and so nicely did he bestir his _Cloven-Hoof_, that this Monarch died consolated (tho'

impenitent) in the Arms of the Church, and with the Benediction of the Clergy too, _those second best Managers of the said Hoof in the World_.

I must acknowledge, I agree with this Opinion thus far; namely, that the Devil acting by this Cloven-Foot, as a Machine, has done great Things in the World for the propagating his dark Empire among us; and History is full of Examples, besides the little low priz'd Things done among us; for we are come to such a Kind of Degeneracy in Folly, that we have even dishonour'd the _Devil_, and put this glorious Engine the Cloven-Foot to such mean Uses, that the _Devil_ himself seems to be asham'd of us.

But to return a little to foreign History, besides what has been mention'd above, we find flaming Examples of most glorious Mischief done by this Weapon, when put into the Hands of Kings and Men of Fame in the World: How many Games have the Kings of _France_ play'd with this _Cloven-Foot_, and that within a few Years of one another? First, _Charles_ IX. play'd the _Cloven-Foot_ upon _Gaspar Coligni_ Admiral of _France_, when he caress'd him, complimented him, invited him to _Paris_, to the Wedding of the King of _Navarre_, call'd him Father, kiss'd him, and when he was wounded sent his own Surgeons to take Care of him, and yet three Days after order'd him to be a.s.sa.s.sinated and murther'd, used with a thousand Indignities, and at last thrown out of the Window into the Street to be insulted by the Rabble?

Did not _Henry_ III. in the same Country, play the Cloven-Foot upon the Duke of _Guise_, when he call'd him to his Council, and caus'd him to be murther'd as he went in at the Door? The _Guises_ again plaid the same Game back upon the King, when they sent out a _Jacobin_ Friar to a.s.sa.s.sinate him in his Tent as he lay at the Siege of _Paris_.

In a Word, this Opera of the _Cloven-Foot_ has been acted all over the Christian World, ever since _Judas_ betray'd the Son of G.o.d with a Kiss; nay, our Saviour says expresly of him, _One of you is a Devil_; and the sacred Text says in another Place, _The Devil enter'd into Judas_.

It would take up a great deal of Time and Paper too, to give you a full Account of the Travels of this _Cloven-Foot_; its Progress into all the Courts of _Europe_, and with what most accurate Hypocrisy _Satan_ has made use of it upon many Occasions, and with what Success; but as in the elaborate Work of which I just now gave you a Specimen I design one whole Volume upon this Subject, and which I shall call, _The compleat History_ of the _Cloven-Foot_; I say, for that Reason, and diverse others, I shall say but very little more to it in this Place.

It remains to tell you, that this merry Story of the _Cloven-Foot_ is very essential to the History which I am now writing, as it has been all along the great Emblem of the _Devil_'s Government in the World, and by which all his most considerable Engagements have been answer'd and executed; for as he is said not to be able to conceal this Foot, but that he carries it always with him, it imports most plainly, that the _Devil_ would be no _Devil_ if he was not a Dissembler, a Deceiver, and carried a _double Entendre_ in all he does or says; that he cannot but say one Thing and mean another, promise one Thing and do another, engage and not perform, declare and not intend, and act like a true _Devil_ as he is, with a Countenance that is no Index of his Heart.

I might indeed go back to Originals, and derive this _Cloven-Foot_ from Satan's primitive State as a Cherubim or a celestial Being, which Cherubims, as _Moses_ is said to have seen them about the Throne of G.o.d in Mount _Sinai_, and as the same _Moses_, from the Original represented them afterwards covering the Ark, had the Head and Face of a Man, Wings of an Eagle, Body of a Lion, and Legs and Feet of a Calf; but this is not so much to our present Purpose, for as we are to allow that whatever _Satan_ had of heavenly Beauty before the Fall, he lost it all when he commenc'd _Devil_, so to fetch his Original so far up would be only to say, that he retain'd nothing but the _Cloven-Foot_, and that all the rest of him was alter'd and deform'd, become frightful and horrible as the DEVIL; but his Cloven-Foot, as we now understand it, is rather mystical and emblematick, and describes him only as the Fountain of Mischief and Treason, and the Prince of Hypocrites, and as such we are now to speak of him.

'Tis from this Original all the hypocritic World copy, he wears the Foot on their Account, and from this Model they act: This made our blessed Lord tell them, _the Works of your Father ye will do_, meaning the _Devil_, as he had express'd it just before.

Nor does he deny the Use of the _Foot_ to the meaner Cla.s.s of his Disciples in the World, but decently equips them all upon every Occasion with a needful Proportion of Hypocrisy and Deceit; that they may hand on the Power of promiscuous Fraud thro' all his temporal Dominions, and wear _the Foot_ always about them as a Badge of their profess'd Share in whatever is done by that Means.

Thus every Dissembler, every false Friend, every secret Cheat, every Bearskin-Jobber has a _Cloven-Foot_, and so far hands on the Devil's Interest by the same powerful Agency of Art, as the _Devil_ himself uses to act when he appears in Person, or would act if he was just now upon the Spot; for this _Foot_ is a Machine which is to be wound up and wound down, as the Cause it appears for requires; and there are Agents and Engineers to act in it by Directions of _Satan_ (the grand Engineer) who lies still in his Retirement, only issuing out his Orders as he sees convenient.

Again, every Cla.s.s, every Trade, every Shopkeeper, every Pedlar, nay, that meanest of Tradesmen, that Church Pedlar the Pope, has a Cloven-Foot, with which he _Paw wa's_ upon the World, wishes them all well, and at the same time cheats them; wishes them all fed, and at the same time starves them; wishes them all in Heaven, and at the same time marches before them directly to the Devil, _alamode de Cloven-Foot_.

Nay, the very Bench, the everliving Foundation of Justice in the World; how often has it been made the Tool of Violence, the Refuge of Oppression, the Seat of Bribery and Corruption, by this Monster in Masquerade, and that every where (our own Country always excepted)? They had much better wipe out the Picture of justice blinded, and having the Sword and Scales in her Hand, which in foreign Countries is generally painted over the Seat of those who sit to do Justice, and place instead thereof a naked unarm'd Cloven-Hoof, a proper Emblem of that Spirit that Influences the World, and of the Justice we often see administred among them; human Imagination cannot form an Idea more suitable, nor the _Devil_ propose an Engine more or better qualified for an Operation of Justice, by the Influence of Bribery and Corruption; it is this magnipotent Instrument in the Hands of the Devil, which under the closest Disguise agitates every Pa.s.sion, bribes every Affection, blackens every Virtue, gives a double Face to Words and Actions, and to all Persons who have any Concern in them, and in a Word, makes us all Devils to one another.

Indeed the Devil has taken but a dark Emblem to be distinguish'd by, for this of a Goat was said to be a Creature hated by Mankind from the beginning, and that there is a natural Antipathy in Mankind against them: Hence the Scape Goat was to bear the Sins of the People, and to go into the Wilderness with all that Burthen upon him.

But we have a Saying among us, in Defence of which we must enquire into the proper Sphere of Action which may be a.s.signed to this Cloven-Foot, as. .h.i.therto described: The Proverb is this; _Every_ Devil _has not a Cloven-Foot_. This Proverb, instead of giving us some more favourable Thoughts of the _Devil_, confirms what I have said already, that the _Devil_ rais'd this Scandal upon himself; I mean, the Report that he cannot conceal or disguise his Devil's Foot, or Hoof, but that it must appear, under whatever Habit he shews himself; and the Reason I gave holds good still, _namely_, that he may be more effectually conceal'd when he goes abroad without it: For if the People were fully persuaded that the _Devil_ could not appear without this Badge of his Honour, or Mark of his Infamy, _take it as you will_; and that he was bound also to shew it upon all Occasions, it would be natural to conclude, that whatever frightful Appearances might be seen in the World, if the Cloven-Foot did not also appear, we had no Occasion to look for the _Devil_, or so much as to think of him, much less to apprehend he was near us; and as this might be a Mistake, and that the _Devil_ might be there while we thought our selves so secure, it might on many Occasions be a Mistake of very ill Consequence, and in particular, as it would give the _Devil_ room to act in the Dark, and not be discover'd, where it might be most needful to know him.

From this short Hint, thus repeated, I draw a new Thesis, namely, That _Devil_ is most dangerous that has no Cloven-Foot; or, if you will have it in Words more to the common Understanding, the _Devil_ seems to be most dangerous when he goes without his Cloven-Foot.

And here a learned Speculation offers it self to our Debate, and which indeed I ought to call a Council of Casuists, and Men learned in the _Devil_'s Politicks, to determine:

Whether is most hurtful to the World, the _Devil_ walking about without his Cloven-Foot, or the Cloven-Foot walking about without the _Devil_?

It is indeed a nice and difficult Question, and merits to be well enquir'd into; for which Reason, and diverse others, I have referr'd it to be treated with some Decency, and as a Dispute of Dignity sufficient to take up a Chapter by itself.

CHAP. VII.

_Whether is most hurtful to the World, the_ Devil _walking about without his Cloven-Foot, or the Cloven-Foot walking about without the_ Devil?

In discussing this most critical Distinction of Satan's private Motions, I must, as the Pulpit Gentlemen direct us, explain the Text, and let you know what I mean by several dark Expressions in it, that I may not be understood to talk (as the _Devil_ walks) in the dark.

1. As to the Devil's walking about.

2. His walking without his Cloven-Foot.

3. The Cloven-Foot walking about without the _Devil_.

Now as I study Brevity, and yet would be understood too, you may please to understand me as I understand my self, thus.

1. That I must be allow'd to suppose the _Devil_ really has a full Intercourse in, and through, and about this Globe, with Egress and Regress, for the carrying on his special Affairs, when, how, and where, to his Majesty, in his great Wisdom, it shall seem meet; that sometimes he appears and becomes visible, and that, like a Mastiff without his Clog, he does not always carry his Cloven-Foot with him. This will necessarily bring me to some Debate upon the most important Question of Apparitions, Hauntings, Walkings, _&c._ whether of _Satan_ in human Shape, or of human Creatures in the _Devil_'s Shape, or in any other manner whatsoever.

2. I must also be allow'd to tell you that Satan has a great deal of Wrong done him by the general embracing vulgar Errors, and that there is a Cloven-Foot oftentimes without a _Devil_; or, in short, that Satan is not guilty of all the simple Things, no, or of all the wicked Things we charge him with.

These two Heads well settled will fully explain the t.i.tle of this Chapter, answer the Query mentioned in it, and at the same time correspond very well with, and give us a farther Prospect into the main and original Design of this Work, _namely, The History of the Devil_. We are so fond of, and pleased with the general Notion of seeing the _Devil_, that I am loth to disoblige my Readers so much as calling in question his Visibility would do. Nor is it my Business, any more than it is his, to undeceive them, where the Belief is so agreeable to them; especially since upon the whole 'tis not one Farthing matter, either on one Side or on the other, whether it be so or no, or whether the Truth of Fact be ever discovered or not.

Certain it is, whether we see him or no, here he is, and I make no doubt but he is looking on while I am writing this Part of his Story, whether behind me, or at my Elbow, or over my Shoulder, is not material to me, nor have I once turned my Head about to see whether he is there or no; for if he be not in the Inside, I have so mean an Opinion of all his extravasated Powers, that it seems of very little Consequence to me what Shape he takes up, or in what Posture he appears; nor indeed can I find in all my Enquiry that ever the _Devil_ appear'd (_Qua Devil_) in any of the most dangerous or important of his Designs in the World; the most of his Projects, especially of the significant Part of them, having been carried on another way.

However, as I am satisfied no Body will be pleas'd if I should dispute the Reality of his Appearance, and the World runs away with it as a receiv'd Point, and that admits no Dispute, I shall most readily grant the General, and give you some Account of the Particulars.

History is fruitful of Particulars, whether Invention has supply'd them or not, I will not say, where the _Devil_ is brought upon the Stage in plain and undeniable Apparition: The Story of _Samuel_ being rais'd by the Witch of _Endor_, I shall leave quite out of my List, because there are so many Scruples and Objections against that Story; and as I shall not dispute with the Scripture, so on the other hand, I have so much Deference for the Dignity of the _Devil_, as not to determine rashly how far it may be in the Power of every old (_Witch_) Woman, to call him up whenever she pleases, and that he must come, whatever the Pretence is, or whatever Business of Consequence he may be engaged in, as often as 'tis needful for her to _Pa wa_ for half a Crown, or perhaps less than half the Money.

Nor will I undertake to tell you, till I have talk'd farther with him about it, how far the _Devil_ is concern'd to discover Frauds, detect Murthers, reveal Secrets, and especially to tell where any Money is hid, and shew Folks where to find it; 'tis an odd thing that Satan should think it of Consequence to come and tell us where such a Miser hid a Strong Box, or where such an old Woman buried her _Chamber Pot_ full of Money, the Value of all which is perhaps but a Trifle, when at the same time he lets so many Veins of Gold, so many unexhausted Mines, nay, Mountains of Silver, as, we may depend upon it, are hid in the Bowels of the Earth, and which it would be so much to the Good of whole Nations to discover, lie still there, and never say one Word of them to any Body.

Besides, how does the _Devil_'s doing Things so foreign to himself, and so out of his way, agree with the rest of his Character; namely, shewing a kind of a friendly Disposition to Mankind, or doing beneficent Things?

This is so beneath _Satan_'s Quality, and looks so little, that I scarce know what to say to it; but that which is still more pungent in the Case is, these Things are so out of his Road, and so foreign to his Calling, that it shocks our Faith in them, and seems to clash with all the just Notions we have of him, and of his Business in the World. The like is to be said of those little merry Turns we bring him in acting with us, and upon us, upon trifling and simple Occasions, such as tumbling Chairs and Stools about House, setting Pots and Vessels Bottom upward, tossing the Gla.s.s and Crokery Ware about without breaking; and such like mean foolish Things, beneath the Dignity of the _Devil_, who, in my Opinion, is rather employ'd in setting the World with the Bottom upward, tumbling Kings and Crowns about, and das.h.i.+ng the Nations one against another; raising Tempests and Storms, whether at Sea, or on Sh.o.r.e; and, in a word, doing capital Mischiefs suitable to his Nature, and agreeable to his Name, _Devil_; and suited to that Circ.u.mstance of his Condition, which I have fully represented in the primitive Part of his exil'd State.

But to bring in the _Devil_ playing at Push-pin with the World, or like _Domitian_ catching Flies, that is to say, doing nothing to the purpose; this is not only deluding our selves, but putting a Slur upon the _Devil_ himself; and, I say, I shall not dishonour Satan so much as to suppose any thing in it: However, as I must have a care too how I take away the proper Materials of Winter Evening Frippery, and leave the good Wives nothing of the Devil to fright the Children with, I shall carry the weighty Point no farther. No doubt the _Devil_ and Dr.

_Faustus_ were very intimate; I should rob you of a very significant [6]

Proverb, if I should so much as doubt it; no doubt the _Devil_ shew'd himself in the Gla.s.s to that fair Lady who look'd in it to see where to place her Patches; but then it should follow too that the _Devil_ is an Enemy to the Ladies wearing Patches, and that has some Difficulties in it which we cannot so easily reconcile; but we must tell the Story, and leave out the Consequences.

But to come to more remarkable Things, and in which the _Devil_ has thought fit to act in a Figure more suitable to his Dignity, and on Occasions consistent with himself; take the Story of the Appearance of _Julius Caesar_, or the _Devil_ a.s.suming that murthered _Emperor_, to the great _Marcus Brutus_, who notwithstanding all the good Things said to justify it, was no less than a King-killer and an a.s.sa.s.sinator, which we in our Language call by a very good Name, and peculiar to the _English_ Tongue, a _Ruffian_.

The Spectre had certainly the Appearance of _Caesar_, with his Wounds bleeding fresh, as if he had just receiv'd the fatal Blow; he had reproach'd him with his Ingrat.i.tude, with a _Tu Brute! tu quoque, mi fili_: "What Thou _Brutus_! Thou, my adopted Son!" Now History seems to agree universally, not only in the Story itself, but in the Circ.u.mstances of it; we have only to observe that the _Devil_ had certainly Power to a.s.sume, not a human Shape only, but the Shape of _Julius Caesar_ in particular.

Had _Brutus_ been a timorous _Conscience-harry'd_, weak-headed Wretch, had he been under the Horror of the Guilt, and terrify'd with the Dangers that were before him at that time, we might suggest that he was over-run with the Vapours, that the Terrors which were upon his Mind disorder'd him, that his Head was delirious and prepossess'd, and that his Fancy only plac'd _Caesar_ so continually in his Eye, that it realiz'd him to his Imagination, and he believ'd he saw him; with many other suggested Difficulties to invalidate the Story, and render the Reality of it doubtful.

But the contrary, to an Extreme, was the Case of _Brutus_; his known Character plac'd him above the Power of all Hypocondriacks, or fanciful Delusions; _Brutus_ was of a true _Roman_ Spirit, a bold Hero, of an intrepid Courage; one that scorn'd to fear even the _Devil_, as the Story allows: Besides, he glory'd in the Action; there cou'd be no Terror of Mind upon him; he valued himself upon it, as done in the Service of Liberty, and the Cause of his Country; and was so far from being frighted at the _Devil_ in the worst Shape, that he spoke first to him, and ask'd him, _What art thou?_ and when he was cited to see him again at _Philippi_, answer'd, with a Gallantry that knew no Fear, _well I will see thee there_. Whatever the _Devil_'s Business was with _Brutus_, this is certain, according to all the Historians who give us the Account of it, that _Brutus_ discover'd no Fear; he did not, _like Saul at Endor_, fall to the Ground in a Swoon, 1 _Sam._ xxviii. 20.

_Then Saul fell all along upon the Earth, and there was no Strength in him, and was sore afraid._ In a word, I see no room to charge _Brutus_ with being over-run with the _Hyppo_, or with Vapours, or with Fright and Terror of Mind; but he saw the _Devil_, that's certain, and with Eyes open, his Courage not at all daunted, his Mind resolute, and with the utmost Composure spoke to him, reply'd to his Answer, and defy'd his Summons to Death, which indeed he fear'd not, as appear'd afterward.

I come next to an Instance as eminent in History as the other; this was in _Char._ VI. of _France_, sirnamed, _The Beloved_; who riding over the Forest near _Mans_, a ghastly frightful Fellow (that is to say, the _Devil_ so clothed in human Vizor) came up to his Horse, and taking hold of his Bridle, stop'd him, with the Addition of these Words, _Stop King, whither go you? You are betray'd!_ and immediately disappear'd. It is true, the King had been distemper'd in his Head before, and so he might have been deceived, and we might have charg'd it to the Account of a whimsical Brain, or the Power of his Imagination; but this was in the Face of his Attendants, several of his great Officers, Courtiers, and Princes of the Blood being with him, who all saw the Man, heard the Words, and immediately, to their Astonishment, lost Sight of the Spectre, who vanish'd from them all.

Two Witnesses will convict a Murtherer, why not a Traitor? This must be the _Old Gentleman_, emblematically so called, or who must it be? nay, who else could it be? His Ugliness is not the Case, tho' _ugly as the Devil_, is a Proverb in his Favour; but vanis.h.i.+ng out of sight is an Essential to a Spirit, and to an evil Spirit in our Times especially.

These are some of the _Devil_'s Extraordinaries, and it must be confess'd they are not the most agreeable to Mankind, for sometimes he takes upon him to disorder his Friends very much on these Occasions, as in the above Case of _Cha._ VI. of _France_; the King, they say, was really demented ever after; that is, as we vulgarly, but not always improperly, express it, he was really _frighted out of his Wits_.

Whether the malicious _Devil_ intended it so, or not, is not certain, tho' it was not so foreign to his particular Disposition if he did.

But where he is more intimate, we are told he appears in a manner less disagreeable, and there he is more properly _a familiar Spirit_; that is, in short, a _Devil_ of their Acquaintance: It is true, the Antients understand the Word, _a familiar Spirit_, to be one of the kinds of Possession; but if it serves our turn as well under the Denomination of an intimate _Devil_, or a _Devil_ visitant, it must be acknowledg'd to be as near in the literal Sense and Acceptation of the Word, as the other; nay, it must be allow'd 'tis a very great Piece of Familiarity in the _Devil_ to make Visits, and shew none of his Disagreeables, not appear formidable, or in the Shape of what he is, respectfully withholding his dismal Part, in Compa.s.sion to the Infirmities of his Friends.