The devil, in his malignant wrestlings with the spirits of the righteous, has not always been so energetically and uncivilly received as by Luther and his ink-bottle. It is related in all seriousness, that a minister who "used often to preach for Mr. Huntington, was talking one Lord's day morning, at Providence Chapel, about a trial he underwent in his own parlour, wherein the devil had 'set in' with his unbelief to dispute him out of some truth that was essential to salvation. He said he was determined that the devil should not have his way, and he therefore 'drew a chair for him, and desired him to sit down that they might have it out together.' According to his own account, he gained a great victory over the empty chair." He did better in his confidence than Barcena the Jesuit did in the opposite spirit; who told another of his order that when the devil appeared to him one night, out of his profound humility he rose up to meet him, and prayed him to sit down in his chair, for he was more worthy to sit there than he! "PERKINS' TRACTORS" EXPOSED. Faith in the medicinal potency of the properties of the loadstone was, for centuries after its discovery, a regular part of many physicians' mental stock-in-trade; and pulverized magnet was administered in the form of pills, and potions, and salves, even after Dr. Gilbert, of Colchester, had in 1660 scientifically ascertained and published the fact, that when reduced to powder the loadstone ceases totally to possess its magnetic properties. The belief in the efficacy of magnets held its ground much later. Even in 1779 and 1780, the Royal Society of Medicine at Paris made experiments with the view of precisely ascertaining the influence of magnets on the human system; and the conclusion reached was, that they exerted a healing potency of no contemptible character. It was about this time that the instruments called "Perkins' Tractors," which were supposed to be endowed with magnetic power, came into vogue. Perkins was an American citizen, from the shrewd State of Connecticut; and only he could make, and only he sell, the painted nails, composed of an alloy of various metals, that were in great demand among the credulous and the wealthy. For a considerable time the wonderful tractors attracted and perplexed everybody; until Dr. Haygarth of Bath, in the following manner, made it apparent that the efficacy of the tractors lay not in themselves, but in the mental condition of the person upon whom they were used:--"Robert Thomas, aged forty-three, who had been for some time under the care of Dr. Lovell, in the Bristol Infirmary, with a rheumatic affection of the shoulder, which rendered his arm perfectly useless, was pointed out as a proper object of trial by Mr. J. W. Dyer, apothecary to the house. Tuesday, April 19th, having everything in readiness, I passed through the ward, and, in a way that he might suspect nothing, questioned him respecting his complaint. I then told