An Essay on Demonology, Ghosts and Apparitions, and Popular Superstitions: Also, an Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem, in 1692Thacher, James
Philosophy
An Essay on Demonology, Ghosts and Apparitions, and Popular Superstitions: Also, an Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem, in 1692
Thacher, James
Superstition; Witchcraft; Witchcraft -- Massachusetts -- Salem
when unwell, and even _cap verses_ for half an hour together, never
failing to quote lines beginning with the final letter of the
preceding till her memory is exhausted.
'She has, during the last six weeks, been considerably reduced and
weakened, by a tiresome cough, which has also added to her weakness by
preventing the taking a daily tonic, to which she had been for some
time accustomed. She had also confined herself from this cause to the
house for some weeks, which is not usual with her, being accustomed to
take a great deal of air and exercise. Her general health for some
time past has not been strong, and a long experience has proved beyond
a doubt, that her ill health is attributable to a disordered state of
the digestive organs. These details are necessary for a complete
understanding of this case, which strikes me as one of remarkable
interest, from combining the character of an ordinary ghost story with
those of an indubitable illusion, as well as from the circumstance
occurring to a person of strong mind, devoid of any superstitious
fancies, and to be implicitly relied on for the truth of the minutest
details of the appearances. Indeed, I do not recollect any well
authenticated and recent instances of auricular delusion like the
first of those I have related, though of course the warning voices and
sounds which have frightened too many weak persons into their graves,
must have been of this nature. Mrs B. tells me that about ten years
ago a similar circumstance happened to her when residing in Florence,
and in perfect health. While undressing after a ball, she heard a
voice call her repeatedly by name, and was at that time unable to
account for the fact.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
An Essay on Demonology, Ghosts and Apparitions, and Popular Superstitions: Also, an Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem, in 1692 — John Shaqi
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