Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

said to be black-faced,* with sunk, but fiery eyes, their mouths wide, and smelling of sulphur; their hands hairy, with claws their feet horny and cloven.

Nam aut in vultu fœditas

* Lib. i. p. 76, 77. est, ac turpitudo, aut uncis, hamisque, quales obscænis vulturibus insunt manus pedesve depravatos habent, aut denique insolita, atque insigni aliqua nota quæ naturæ immanitatem prodant, conspicuos se ostendunt. Joannes Piscator, Henaezel; Salome, Catharina Balandræa, Nicolæa Ganatia, Sennel Armentaria, et Joanna Gerardina, retulerunt se & sæpe, et otiosé, atque attenté considerasse suos Magistellos, cum præsentes colloquerentur; observasseque semper illis obscuras atrasque fuisse facies: ac (quod Jormandes dicit de Hunnis, quos Demonibus incubis satos ferunt) offæ similes: lumina penitus abdita, flammæ tamen instar micantia: Oris rictus sparsos, profundos, ac perpetuó olidi, sulphureique aliquid æstuantes : manus strigosas, et villis atque hamis deformes: pedes corneos bifidosque: staturam nunquam justam, sed aut brevitate aut vastitate semper aliqua insolentem, totamque adeo Seriem extra modum.

Addit Alexia Belhoria, illum se aliquando vidisse capite, vel pede altero truncum, mutilumque, cum forté saltationes nocturnas uná cum suis agitaret. Quæ res me in memoriam inducit ejus rumoris, qui me puero circumferebatur de Empusis, quarum frequentes

Not only are the voices and stature of the demons described by Remy's authorities, but many other extraordinary circumstances are recorded, which might have been omitted with great propriety. The curiosity of the worthy judge seems to have been as unlimited as his credulity. I ought to add, that his book is

de nocte choreæ in triviis tum videri ferebantur (la Mequie Hennequin) id est, familiam Hellequinam vocitabant: nam Hellequinos ab incubis Dæmonibus suam traxisse originem non ignobiles Scriptores prodiderunt.

Nicolæa Ganatia, Eva Hesoletia, Jana Nigra Armacuriana, ac pleræque aliæ vocem illis esse aiunt, qualem emittunt, qui os in dolium, aut testam rimosam, insertum habent............Aut certé exilem et debilem, p. 80.

In the 6th chapter, Remy has indulged his curiosity in a most extraordinary, and almost reprehensible

manner.

Ab hoc qui nobis istos concubitus, succubitusque Dæmonum memorant uno ore loquuntur omnes, nihil iis frigidius &c. The other details are too shocking to be repeated, p. 55.

written in Latin, in a good style, and bears marks of considerable erudition.

The result of all these inquiries has been, that recollected images only are presented to the persons labouring under delusions of this nature.

[ocr errors]

But the most remarkable and decisive narrative of this kind was published, some years ago, by Nicolai, the celebrated author and bookseller, of Berlin. "Those who pretend to have seen and "heard ghosts obstinately maintain, that

they perceived these apparitions by "means of their senses. In order to "defeat that belief, we generally desire "them to consider how many people have "been imposed on by artful novices, and "how liable we are to deceive ourselves; we advise them to lay hold of the sup

66

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

posed spectres; assuring them that they are generally found to be of a very corporeal nature. But those who have a

66

66

predilection for the miraculous, pay no regard to these objections; insisting "that the productions of their disordered

66

imaginations are real beings. We can"not therefore collect too many of such "well substantiated facts, as shew how

66

66

easily our imagination imposes on us "erroneous notions, and deludes not only delirious persons but even those "who are in full possession of their facul"ties, by causing them to see phantasms "which scarcely can be distinguished " from real appearances."

66

[ocr errors]

"I have myself experienced a case of “this nature, which to me appears highly "remarkable, both psychologically and "medicinally; I saw, in a state of mind completely sound, and after the first "terror was over, with perfect calmness, "for nearly two months, almost constantly " and involuntarily a vast number of hu"man and other forms, and even heard "their voices, though all this was merely

"the consequence of a diseased state of "the nerves and an irregular circulation "of the blood."

[ocr errors]

"It being a matter of considerable importance that an incident of this nature "should be observed with the strictest at"tention, and related, together with all "collateral circumstances, with the most "conscientious fidelity, I shall not omit any thing of which I retain a clear "recollection. The truth of what I am going to advance will not require a farther testimony, as Dr. Selle, who was my physician and was daily informed by me of every trifling occurrence and

66

66

[ocr errors]

66

6.6

change that happened, is still living, "and will, by all who know him, be most "readily admitted as an unobjectionable "witness. During the ten latter months of "the year 1790, I had experienced seve"ral melancholy incidents which deeply "affected me, particularly in September, "from which time I suffered an almost

« AnteriorContinuar »