That which is most remarkable in John Fein, is the devil appearing to him, not in black, but white raiment, although he proposed as hellish a covenant to him as any in the black costume. His skimming along the surface of the sea with his companions—his foretelling the leak in the Queen’s ship—his raising a storm by throwing a cat into the sea, during the King’s voyage to Denmark—his raising a mist on the King’s return, by getting Satan to cast a thing like a foot-ball into the sea, which caused such a smoke, as to endanger his Majesty being driven on the coast of England—his opening locks by means of sorcery, by merely blowing into a woman’s hand while she sat by the fire—his embarking in a boat with other witches, sailing over the sea, getting on board of a ship, drinking wine and ale there, and afterwards sinking the vessel with all on board—his kissing Satan’s —e again, at another conventicle— his being carried into the air, in chasing a cat, for the purpose of raising a storm, according to Satan’s prescription. He pretended also to tell any man how long he would live, provided he told him the day of his birth. SORCERY. The crime of witchcraft, or divination, by the assistance of evil spirits. Sorcery is held by some to be properly what the ancients called _Sortilegium_, or divination by means of _Sortes_ or lots. Lord Coke (_3 Instit. fol. 44_,) describes a Sorcerer, _qui utitur sortibus, et incantationibus dæmonium_. Sorcery, by _Stat. 1o.Jac._ is felony. In another book it is said to be a branch of heresy; and by _Stat. 12, Carolus II._ it is excepted out of the general pardons. Sorcery is pretended to have been a very common thing formerly; the credulity, at least, of those ages made it pass for such; people frequently suffered for it. In a more enlightened and less believing age, sorcery has fled before the penetrating rays of science, like every other species of human superstition and complicated _diablerie_. For, indeed, it is a very probable opinion, that the several glaring instances of sorcery we meet, in our old law books and historians, if well inquired into, would be found at bottom, to have more human art and desperate malignity and vindictive cunning about them, than of demoniacal and preternatural agency. Were it not for a wellregulated police acting under wise regulations for the safety and harmony of society, sorcerers and evil spirits would be equally as prevalent and destructive at the present day, as they were some two or three hundred years ago. SORTES.—SORTILEGIUM. The ancients had a method of deciding dubious cases, where there appeared no ground for a preference, by _Sortes_ or lots, as in casting of dice, drawing tickets, and various other ways, many of which are still adopted.