The History of the Devil Part 24

How happy is it, that this great Secret comes thus to be discover'd to mankind? Certainly the World has gone on in Ignorance a long time, and at a strange rate, that we should have so many _Devils_ continually walking about among us in humane Shape, and we know it not.

Philosophers tell us that there is a World of Spirits, and many learned Pieces of Guess-work they make at it, representing the World to be so near us, that the Air, as they describe it, must be full of Dragons and _Devils_, enough to fright our Imaginations with the very Thoughts of them; and if they say true, 'tis our great Felicity that we cannot see any farther into it than we do, which if we could, would appear as frightful as h.e.l.l itself; but none of those Sages ever told us, till now, that half the People who converse with us are _Apparitions_, especially of the Women; and among them especially this valuable Part, the Woman of Figure, the fair, the beautiful, or patch'd and painted.

This unusual Phaenomenon has been seen but a little while, and but a little way, and the general Part of Mankind cannot come into the same Notions about it; nay, perhaps they will all think it strange; but be it as strange as it will, the Nature of the Thing confirms it, this lower Sphere is full of _Devils_; and some of both s.e.xes have given strange Testimonies of the Reality of their pre-existent _Devilism_ for many Ages past, tho' I think it never came to that Height as it has now.

It is true, in former times Satan dealt much in old Women, and those, as I have observ'd already, very ugly, _Ugly as a Witch_, _Black as a Witch_, _I look like a Witch_, all proverbial Speeches, and which testify'd what Tools it was Satan generally work'd with; and these old Spectres, they tell us, us'd to ride thro' the Air in the Night, and upon Broomsticks too, all mighty homely Doings; some say they us'd to go to visit their Grand Seignior the _Devil_, in those Nocturnal Perambulations: But be that as it will, 'tis certain the _Devil_ has chang'd hands, and that now he walks about the World cloth'd in Beauty, cover'd with the Charms of the Lovely, and he fails not to disguise himself effectually by it, for who would think a beautiful Lady could be a Masque to the Devil? and that a fine Face, a divine Shape, a heavenly Aspect, should bring the _Devil_ in her Company, nay, should be herself an _Apparition_, a mere DEVIL.

The Enquiry is indeed worth our while, and therefore I hope all the enamour'd Beaus and Boys, all the Beauty-hunters and Fortune-hunters, will take heed, for I suppose if they get the _Devil_, they will not complain for want of a Fortune; and there's Danger enough, I a.s.sure you, for the World is full of Apparitions, _non rosa sine spinis_; not a Beauty without a _Devil_, the old Women Spectres, and the young Women Apparitions; the ugly ones Witches, and the handsome ones _Devils_; Lord ha' Mercy, and a [Ill.u.s.tration: Cross] may be Set on the Man's Door that goes a courting.

CHAP. VIII.

_Of the Cloven-Foot walking about the World without the_ Devil, (viz.) _of Witches making Bargains for the_ Devil, _and particularly of selling the Soul to the_ Devil.

I have dwelt long upon the _Devil_ in Masque as he goes about the World incog. and especially without his Cloven-Foot, and have touched upon some of his Disguises in the Management of his Interest in the World; I must say some of his Disguises only, for who can give a full account of all his Tricks and Arts in so narrow a Compa.s.s as I am prescrib'd to?

But as I said, that every _Devil_ has not a Cloven-Foot, so I must add now for the present Purpose, that every Cloven-Foot is not the Devil.

Not but that wherever I should meet the Cloven-Hoof, I should expect that the _Devil_ was not far off, and should be apt to raise the Posse against him, to apprehend him; yet it may happen otherwise, that's certain; every Coin has its Counterfeit, every Art its Pretender, every Wh.o.r.e her Admirer, every Error its Patron, and every Day has its DEVIL.

I have had some thought of making a full and compleat Discovery here of that great Doubt which has so long puzzl'd the World, namely, whether there is any such Thing, as secret making Bargains with the Devil, and the first positive a.s.surance I can give you in the Case, is, that if there is not, 'tis not his Fault, 'tis not for want of his Endeavour, 'tis plain, if you will pardon me for taking so mean a Step, as that of quoting Scripture; I say, 'tis evident he would fain have made a Contract with our Saviour, and he bid boldly (_give him his due_) namely, _all the Kingdoms of the World for one bend of his Knee_: Impudent Seraph! To think thy Lord should pay thee Homage! How many would agree with him here for a less Price! They say, _Oliver Cromwell_ struck a Bargain with him, and that he gave _Oliver_ the Protectors.h.i.+p, but would not let him call himself King, which stuck so close to that _Furioso_, that the Mortification Spread into his Soul, and 'tis said, he dy'd of a Gangreen in the Spleen. But take Notice and do _Oliver_ Justice; I do not vouch the Story, neither does the Bishop say one Word of it.

Fame us'd to say, that the old famous Duke of _Luxemburg_ made a Magic compact of this Kind; nay, I have heard many an (old Woman) Officer of the Troops, who never car'd to see his Face, declare that he carry'd the Devil at his Back. I remember a certain Author of a News Paper in _London_ was once taken up, and they say, it cost him 50_l._ for printing in his News, that _Luxemburg_ was _Humpback'd_. Now if I have resolv'd the Difficulty, namely, that he was not hump'd, only carry'd the _Devil_ at his Back; I think the poor Man should have his 50_l._ again, or I should have it for the Discovery.

I confess, I do not well understand this compacting with such a Fellow as can neither write nor read; nor do I know who is the Scrivener between them, or how the Indenture can be executed; but that which is worse than all the rest is, that in _the first Place_, the _Devil_ never keeps Articles; he will contract perhaps, and they say he is mighty forward to make Conditions; but who shall bind him to the Performance, and where is the Penalty if he fails? if we agree with him, he will be apt enough to claim his Bargain and demand Payment; nay, perhaps before it is due; but who shall make him stand to his.

Besides, he is a Knave in his Dealing, for he really promises what he cannot perform; witness his impudent Proposal to our Lord mentioned above. _All these Kingdoms will I give_ thee! _Lying Spirit!_ Why they were none of thine to give, no not one of them; for the Earth is the Lords and the kingdoms thereof, nor were they in his Power any more than in his Right: So (I have heard that) some poor dismal Creatures have sold themselves to the Devil for a Sum of Money, for so much Cash, and yet even in that Case, when the Day of Payment came, I never heard that he brought the Money or paid the Purchase, so that he is a Scoundrel in his Treaties, for you shall trust for your Bargain, but not be able to get your Money; and yet for your Part, he comes for you to an Hour: _Of which by it self_.

In a Word, let me caution you all, when you trade with the Devil, either get the Price or quit the Bargain; the _Devil_ is a cunning Shaver, he will wriggle himself out of the Performance on his Side if possible, and yet expect you should be punctual on your Side. They tell you of a poor Fellow in _Herefords.h.i.+re_, that offer'd to sell his Soul to him for a Cow, and though the _Devil_ promised, and as they say, sign'd the Writings, yet the poor Countryman could never get the Cow of him, but still as he brought a Cow to him, some body or other came and challeng'd it, proving that it was lost or stolen from them; so that the Man got nothing but the Name of a Cow-stealer, and was at last carried to _Hereford_ Goal, and condemn'd to be hang'd for stealing two Cows, one after the other: The wicked Fellow was then in the greatest Distress imaginable, he summon'd his _Devil_ to help him out, but he failed him, as the _Devil_ always will; he really had not stolen the Cows, but they were found in his Possession, and he could give no Account how he came by them; at last he was driven to confess the Truth, told the horrid Bargain he had made, and how the _Devil_ often promis'd him a Cow, but never gave him one, except that several Times in the Morning early he found a Cow put into his Yard, but it always prov'd to belong to some of his Neighbours: Whether the Man was hang'd or no, the Story does not relate; but this Part is to my Purpose, that they that make Bargains with the _Devil_, ought to make him give Security for the Performance of Covenants, and who the Devil would get to be bound for him, I can't tell, they must look to that who make the Bargain: Besides, if he had not had a Mind to cheat or baffle the poor Man, what need he have taken a Cow so near home? if he had such and such Powers as we talk of, and as Fancy and Fable furnish for him, could not he have carried a Cow in the Air upon a Broom-stick, as well as an old Woman? Could he not have stole a Cow for him in _Lincolns.h.i.+re_, and set it down in _Herefords.h.i.+re_, and so have performed his Bargain, saved his Credit, and kept the poor Man out of Trouble? so that if the Story is True, as I really believe it is, either it is not the Devil that makes those Bargains, or the Devil has not such Power as we bestow on him, except on Special Occasions he gets a Permit, and is bid go, as in the Case of _Job_, the _Gadaren Hogs_, and the like.

We have another Example of a Man's selling himself to the _Devil_, that is very remarkable, and that is in the Bible too, and even in that, I do not find, what the _Devil_ did for him, in Payment of the Purchase Price. The Person selling was _Ahab_, of whom the Text says expresly, _there was none like_ him, _who did sell himself to work Wickedness in the Sight of the_ LORD, 1 _Kings_ xxi. 20, and the 25. I think it might have been rendred, if not translated _in Spight of the Lord_, or _in Defiance of G.o.d_; for certainly that's the Meaning of it; and now allowing me to preach a little upon this Text, my Sermon shall be very short. _Ahab_ sold himself, who did he sell himself to? I answer that Question by a Question; who would buy him? who, _as we say_, would give any thing for him? and the Answer to that is plain also, you may judge of the Purchaser by the Work he was to do; he that buys a Slave in the Market, buys him to work for him, and to do such Business as he has for him to do: _Ahab_ was bought to work wickedness, and who would buy him for that but the _Devil_?

I think there's no room to doubt but _Ahab_ sold himself to the Devil; the Text is plain that he sold himself, and the Work he was sold to do points out the Master that bought him; what Price he agreed with the _Devil_ for, that indeed the Text is silent in, so we may let it alone, nor is it much to our Purpose, unless it be to enquire whether the _Devil_ stood to his Bargain or not, and whether he paid the Money according to Agreement, or cheated him as he did the Farmer at _Hereford_.

This buying and selling between the _Devil_ and us, is, I must confess, an odd kind of Stock-jobbing, and indeed the _Devil_ may be said to sell the _Bear-skin_, whatever he buys; but the strangest Part is when he comes to demand the transfer; for as I hinted before, whether he Performs or no, he expects his Bargain to a t.i.ttle; there is indeed some Difficulty in resolving how and in what Manner Payment is made; the Stories we meet with in our Chimney-Corner Histories, and which are so many Ways made Use of to make the _Devil_ frightful to us and our Heirs for ever, are generally so foolish and ridiculous, as, if true or not true, they have nothing Material in them, are of no Signification, or else so impossible in their Nature, that they make no Impression upon any body above twelve Years old and under seventy; or else are so tragical that Antiquity has fabled them down to our Taste, that we might be able to hear them and repeat them with less Horror than is due to them.

This Variety has taken off our Relish of the Thing in general, and made the Trade of Soul-selling, like our late more eminent Bubbles, be taken to be a Cheat and to have little in it.

However, to speak a little more gravely to it, I cannot say but that since, by the two eminent Instances of it above in _Ahab_, and in Christ himself, the Fact is evidently ascertain'd; and that the Devil has attempted to make such a Bargain on one, and actually did make it with the other. The Possibility of it is not to be disputed; but then I must explain the Manner of it a little, and bring it down, nearer to our Understanding, that it may be more intelligible than it is; for as for this selling the Soul, and making a Bargain to give the _Devil_ Possession by Livery and Seisin on the Day appointed, that I cannot come into by any Means; no nor into the other Part, namely, of the Devil coming to claim his Bargain, and to demand the Soul according to Agreement, and upon Default of a fair Delivery, taking it away by Violence _Case and all_, of which we have many historical Relations pretty current among us; some of which, _for ought I know_, we might have hop'd had been true, if we had not been sure they were false, and others we had Reason to fear were false, because it was impossible they should be true.

The Bargains of this Kind, according to the best Accounts we have of them, used to consist of two main Articles, according to the ordinary Stipulations in all Covenants; namely,

1. Something to be perform'd on the Devil's Part, buying.

2. Something to be performed on the Man's Part, selling.

1. The _Devil_'s Part: This was generally some poor Trifle, for the Devil generally bought good Penny-worths, and oftentimes like a compleat Sharper, agreed to give what he was not able to procure; that is to say, would bargain for a Price he could not pay, as in the Case of the _Hereford_ Man and the Cow; for Example, 1. _Long Life_: This tho' the deluded Chapman has often had folly enough to contract for, the Devil never had Power to make good; and we have a famous Story, how true I know not, of a Wretch that sold himself to the DEVIL on Condition he, _Satan_, should a.s.sure him (1.) That he should never want Victuals; (2.) That he should never be a cold; (3.) That he should always come to him when he call'd him; and (4.) That he should let him live one and twenty Years, and then Satan was at Liberty to have him; that is, I suppose, to take him wherever he could find him.

It seems, the Fellow's desire to be a.s.sur'd of 21 Years Life, was chiefly, that during that Time, he might be as wicked as he would, and should yet be sure not to be hang'd, nay, to be free from all Punishment; upon this Foot 'tis said he commenc'd Rogue, and committed a great many Robberies and other villanous Things; now it seems the _Devil_ was pretty true to his Bargain in several of those things; particularly, that two or three times when the Fellow was taken up for petty Crimes, and call'd for his old Friend, he came and frighted the Constables so, that they let the Offender get away from them: But at Length having done some capital Crime, a Set of Constables, or such like Officers, seiz'd upon him, who were not to be frighted with the _Devil_, in what Shape soever he appear'd; so that they carry'd him off, and he was committed to _Newgate_ or some other Prison as effectual.

Nor could Satan with all his Skill unlock his Fetters, much less the Prison Doors; But he was try'd, convicted, and executed. The Fellow in his Extremity, _they say_, expostulated with the _Devil_ for his Bargain, the Term of 21 Years it seems not being expir'd. But the _Devil_, it is said, shuffl'd with him, told him a good while, he would get him out, bid him have Patience and stay a little, and thus led him on, till he came as it were within Sight of the Gallows, that is to say, within a Day or two of his Execution; when the _Devil_ cavill'd upon his Bargain, told him, he agreed to let him live 21 Years, and he had not hindred him, but that he did not Covenant to cause him to live that Time; that there was a great deal of Difference between doing and suffering; that he was to suffer him to live, and that he did; but he could not make him live when he had brought himself to the Gallows.

Whether this Story were true or not, for you must not expect we Historians should answer for the Discourse between the _Devil_ and his Chaps, because we were not privy to the Bargain: I say, whether it was true or not, the Inference is to our Purpose several Ways.

1. It confirms what I have said of the Knavery of the _Devil_ in his Dealings, and that when he has Stock-jobb'd with us on the best Conditions he can get, he very seldom performs his Bargain.

2. It confirms what I have likewise said, that the _Devil_'s Power is limited; with this Addition, that he not only cannot destroy the Life of Man, but that he cannot preserve it; _in short_, he can neither prevent or bring on our Destruction.

I may be allow'd, I hope, for the Sake of the present Discourse, to suppose that the _Devil_ would have been so just to this wicked, tho'

foolish Creature, as to have sav'd him from the Gallows if he could; but it seems, he at last acknowledg'd that it was not in his Power; nay, he could not keep him from being taken and carry'd to Prison, after he was gotten into the Hands of a bold Fellow or two, that were not to be fear'd with his Bl.u.s.ter, as some foolish Creatures had been before.

And how simple, how weak, how unlike any Thing of an Angelick Nature, was it to attempt to save the poor Wretch, only by little Noises and sham Appearances, putting out the Candles, rus.h.i.+ng and josteling in the Dark, _and the like_! If the _Devil_ was that mighty Seraph, which we have heard of, if he is a G.o.d of this World, a Prince of the Air, a Spirit able to destroy Cities and make Havock in the World; if he can raise Tempests and Storms, throw Fire about the World, and do wonderful Things, as an unchain'd _Devil_ no Doubt could do; what need all this Frippery? and what need he try so many ridiculous Ways, by the Emptiness, nay, the silly nonsensical Manner, of which, he shews, that he is able to do no better, and that his Power is extinguish'd? _In a Word_, he would certainly act otherwise, if he could. _Sed caret pedibus_, he wants Power.

How weak a thing is it then, for any Man to expect Performance from the _Devil_? If he has not Power to do Mischief, which is his Element, his very Nature, and on many Accounts, is the very sum of his Desires; How should he have Power to do Good? how Power to deliver from Danger or from Death? which Deliverance would be in itself a Good, and we know it is not in his Nature to do Good to or for any Man?

In a Word, the _Devil_ is strangely impudent, to think that any Man should depend upon him for the Performance of an Agreement of any Kind whatever, when he knows himself, that he is not able, if he was honest enough, to be as good as his Word.

Come we next to his expecting our Performance to him; tho' he is not so just to us, yet, it seems, he never fails to come and demand Payment of us at the very Day appointed: He was but a weak Trader in Things of this Nature, who having sold his Soul to the _Devil_, so our old Women's Tales call the Thing, and when the _Devil_ came to demand his Bargain, put it off as a Thing of no Force, for that it was done so long ago, he thought he (_the Devil_) had forgot it. It was a better Answer, which they tell us, a _Lutheran_ Divine gave the _Devil_ in the Name of a poor Wretch, who had sold himself to the _Devil_, and who was in a terrible Fright about his coming for his Bargain, as he might well be indeed, if the _Devil_ has such a Power, as really to come and take it by Force.

_The Story (if you can bear a serious one) is this._

The Man was in great Horror of Mind, and the Family fear'd he would destroy himself; at length they sent for a _Lutheran_ Minister to talk with him, and who after some Labour with him, got out the Truth (_viz._) that he had sold himself to the _Devil_, and that the Time was almost expir'd, when he expected the _Devil_ would come and fetch him away, and he was sure he would not fail coming to the Time to a Minute; the Minister first endeavour'd to convince him of the horrid Crime, and to bring him to a true Penitence for that Part; and having as he thought made him a sincere Penitent, he then began to encourage him, and particularly, desir'd of him, that when the Time was come, that the _Devil_ should fetch him away, he, the Minister, should be in the House with him; accordingly, to make the Story short, the Time came, the _Devil_ came, and the Minister was present, when the _Devil_ came; what Shape he was in, the Story does not say; the Man said he saw him, and cry'd out; the Minister could not see him, but the Man affirming he was in the Room, the Minister said aloud, _in the Name of the_ living G.o.d, _Satan, what comest thou here for?_ The _Devil_ answer'd, _I come for my own_; the Minister answer'd, _He is not thy own, for Jesus Christ has redeem'd him, and in his Name I charge thee to avoid and touch him not_; at which, says the Story, the _Devil_ gave a furious Stamp (with his Cloven-Foot I suppose) and went away, and was never known to molest him afterward.

Another Story, tho' it be in it self a long one, I shall abridge (for your reading with the less Uneasiness) as follows.

A young Gentleman of _----berg_, in the Elector of _Brandenburgh_'s (now the King of _Prussia_'s) Dominions, being deeply in Love with a beautiful Lady, but something above his Fortune, and whom he could by no Means bring to love him again, apply'd himself to an _old thing_ call'd _a Witch_, for her a.s.sistance, and promised her great Things, if she could bring the Lady to love him, or any how compa.s.s her, so as he might have his Will of her; nay, at last he told her he would give up his Soul to her, if she would answer his Desire.

The old Hag, it seems, having had some of his Money, had very honestly tried what she could do, but all to no Purpose, the Lady would not comply; but when he offer'd such a great Price, she told him, she would consider farther against such a Time, and so appointed him the next Evening.

At the Time appointed he comes, and the Witch made a long Speech to him upon the Nicety of the Affair; I suppose to prepare him not to be surpriz'd at what was to come; for she suppos'd he was not so very desperately bent as he appear'd to be; she told him it was a Thing of very great Difficulty; but as he had made such a great Offer, of _selling his Soul for it_, she had an Acquaintance in the House, who was better skill'd (than she was) in such particular Things, and would treat with him farther, and she doubted not but that both together they might answer his End. The Fellow it seems was still of the same Mind, and told her, he car'd not what he p.a.w.n'd or sold, if he could but obtain the Lady; well, says the old Hag, sit still a while, and with that she withdraws.

By and by she comes in again with a Question in her Mouth; pray, says she, do you seek this Lady for a Wife, or for a Mistress, would you marry her, or would you only lie with her? The young Man told her _no, no_, he did not expect she would lie with him, therefore he would be satisfied to marry her, but asks her the Reason of the Question; why truly, says the old Hag, my Reason is very Weighty; for if you would have her for your Wife, I doubt, we can do you no Service; but if you have a Mind to lie with her, the Person, I speak of, will undertake it.

The Man was surpriz'd at that, only he objected that this was a transient or short Felicity, and that he should perhaps have her no more; the old Hag bid him not fear, but that if she once yielded to be his Wh.o.r.e, he might have her as often as he pleased; upon this he consents, for he was stark mad for the Lady; He having consented, she told him then, he should follow her, but told him, whoever he saw, he must speak to no body but her, till she gave him leave, and that he should not be surpriz'd, whatever happen'd, for no hurt should befall him; all which he agreed to, and the old Woman going out he follow'd her.

Being upon this led into another Room, where there was but very little Light, yet enough to let him see that there was no body in it but himself and the Woman, he was desired to sit down in a Chair next to a Table, and the old Woman clapping the Door too after her, he asked her why she shut the Door, and where was the Person she told him of? At which she answer'd _there he is_, pointing to a Chair at a little Distance: The young Gentleman turning his Head, saw a grave Kind of a Man sitting in an Elbow-Chair, tho' he said, he could have sworn there was no body in the Chair when the old Woman shut the Door; however, having promis'd not to speak to any body but the old Woman, he said not a Word.

By and by the Woman making abundance of strange Gestures and Motions, and mumbling over several Things which he could not understand, on a suddain a large Wicker-Chair, which stood by the Chimney, removes to the other End of the Table which he sat by, but there was no body in the Chair; in about two Minutes after that the Chair remov'd, there appear'd a Person sitting in that too, who, the Room being, as is said, almost dark, could not be so distinguish'd by the Eye, as to see his Countenance.

After some while, the first Man, and the Chair he sat in, mov'd, as if they had been one Body, to the Table also; and the old Woman and the two Men seem'd to talk together, but the young Man could not understand any Thing they said; after some Time the old Witch turn'd to the young Gentleman, told him his Request was granted, but not for Marriage, but the Lady should love and receive him.

The Witch then gave him a Stick dipt in Tar at both Ends, and bid him hold it to a Candle, which he did, and instead of burning like a Stick it burnt out like a Torch; then she bid him break it off in the Middle, and light the other End; he did that too, and all the Room seem'd to be in a light Flame; then she said, deliver one Piece here, pointing to one only of the Persons, so he gave the first Fire-stick to the first Man or _Apparition_; now says she, deliver the other here, so he gave the other Piece to the other Apparition, at which they both rose up and spoke to him Words, which he said he understood not, and could not repeat, and immediately vanish'd with the Fire-sticks and all, leaving the Room full of Smoke: I do not remember that the Story says any Thing of Brimstone, or the Smell of it, but it says the Door continu'd fast lock'd, and no Body was left in the Room but the young Gentleman and the Witch.

Now the Ceremony being over, he ask'd the Witch if the Business was done? She said _yes_. Well, but says he, have I sold my Soul to the Devil? Yes, says she, you have, and you gave him Possession, when you deliver'd the two Fire-sticks to him. _To him!_ says he, why, was that the _Devil_? Yes, says the old Hag. At which the young Man was in a terrible Fright for a while, but it went off again.