First Opening of the Regalia to public Inspection--Edwards appointed Keeper--Plan formed by Blood to steal the Regalia--He visits the Tower with his pretended Wife--Means by which he contrived to become intimate with Edwards--His Arrangements for carrying his Scheme into Execution--He knocks down Edwards, and obtains Possession of the Jewels--Fortunate Chance by which his Scheme was frustrated--He is taken--Charles II. is present at his Examination--Blood contrives to obtain a Pardon, and the Gift of an Estate from the King. 201 CHAPTER XIV. Horrible nature of the Superstition of Vampyrism--Persons attacked by Vampyres become Vampyres themselves--Signs by which a Vampyre was known--Origin of one of the signs--Effect attributed to Excommunication in the Greek church--Story of an excommunicated Greek--Calmet’s theory of the origin of the Superstition respecting Vampyres--St. Stanislas--Philinnium--The Strygis supposed to have given the idea of the Vampyre--Capitulary of Charlemagne--Remedy against attacks from the Demon--Anecdote of an impudent Vampyre--Story of a Vampyre at Mycone--Prevalence of Vampyrism in the north of Europe--Walachian mode of detecting Vampyres. 205 CHAPTER XV. Feats of Jugglers formerly attributed to witchcraft--Anglo-Saxon Gleemen--Norman Jugglers or Tregatours--Chaucer’s Description of the Wonders performed by them--Means probably employed by them--Recipe for making the Appearance of a Flood--Jugglers fashionable in the Reign of Charles II.--Evelyn’s Account of a Fire-eater--Katterfelto--Superiority of Asiatic and Eygptian pretenders to magical Skill--Mandeville’s Account of Juggling at the Court of the Great Khan--Extraordinary Feats witnessed by the Emperor Jehanguire--Ibn Batuta’s Account of Hindustanee Jugglers--Account of a Bramin who sat upon the Air--Egyptian Jugglers--Mr. Lane’s Account of the Performance of one of them--Another fails in satisfying Captain Scott. 212 CHAPTER XVI. Hold taken on the public Mind by Prodigies--Dutch Boy with Hebrew Words on the Iris of each Eye--Boy with the word Napoleon in the Eye--Child with a Golden Tooth--Speculations on the Subject--Superstition respecting changeling Children in the Isle of Man--Waldron’s Description of a Changeling--Cases of extraordinary Sleepers--The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus--Men supposed, in the northern Regions, to be frozen during the Winter, and afterwards thawed into Life again--Dr. Oliver’s Case of a Sleeper near Bath--Dr. Cheyne’s Account of Colonel Townshend’s power of voluntarily suspending Animation--Man buried alive for a Month at Jaisulmer--The Manner of his Burial, and his Preparation for it. 221 CHAPTER XVII.