Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that islandMacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
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Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that island
MacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
Folklore -- Guernsey
Mrs. Le Patourel also knew a man who had once owned a “_Grand Albert_”
and used it, and, repenting, tried to burn it, but it is well known
that if you have once used one of these books you can never rid
yourself of it, try as you will. He heated his oven red hot, and put
the book within it. Two minutes afterwards he looked up and saw the
book, unsinged even, in its old place on the dresser. My cousin Miss
Le Pelley sends me a story told her by an old servant Judy Ozanne, how
some very religious people, going into a house found a “_Grand Albert_”
on the poûtre (the centre beam) in the kitchen, so they threw it into
the fire, but in vain, for “it went back to its old place and stayed
there!”
A WIZARD ON THE WEST COAST.
We all know how dangerous it is to possess books which treat of the
arts of magic and sorcery, or to tamper in any way with these forbidden
practices.
It came to the ears of a former rector of St. Pierre-du-Bois or
Torteval, that one of his parishioners, of the name of Sarre, not
only owned such books, but was in the habit of reading and studying
them. Indeed, if there was any truth in public rumour, many of Sarre’s
neighbours had been sufferers from the improper use he made of the
knowledge thus unlawfully acquired. The good rector thought it his
duty to remonstrate with his parishioner, and to point out to him
the sinfulness of his conduct, and the danger he was incurring of
forfeiting both body and soul to the Prince of Darkness; but all his
good advice was, for a long time, treated with contempt. At last,
what the rector’s charitable remonstrances had been unable to effect
was brought about by Sarre’s own fears. The presence of a large black
cat, which followed him wherever he went, and was with him night and
day, began to alarm him. It was useless to attempt to drive the beast
away; it cared neither for threats nor blows. In short Sarre began to
be seriously alarmed lest his assiduous study of the forbidden volumes
should, at last, have brought, if not Satan, at least one of his
familiars, to dog his steps continually, and to watch an opportunity of
seizing on his prey.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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