The History of the Devil, As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two PartsDefoe, Daniel
Philosophy
The History of the Devil, As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two Parts
Defoe, Daniel
Devil -- Early works to 1800
Now is it unworthy the Occasion, to take notice that we really wrong the
_Devil_, and speak of him very much to his Disadvantage, when we say of
such a Great Lord, or of such a Lady of Quality, _I think the_ Devil _is
in your Grace_: No, no, Satan has other Business, he very rarely
possesses F--ls: Besides, some are so far from having the _Devil_ in
them, that they are really transmigrated into the very Essence of the
_Devil_ themselves; and others again not transmigrated, or assimilated,
but Indeed and in Truth shew us that they are to have mere native
_Devils_ in every Part and Parcel of them, and that the rest is only
Masque and Disguise. Thus if _Rage_, _Envy_, _Pride_ and _Revenge_ can
constitute the Parts of a _Devil_, why should not a Lady of such
Quality, in whom all those Extraordinaries abound, have a Right to the
Title of being a _Devil_ really and substantially, and to all Intents
and Purposes, in the most perfect and absolute Sense, according to the
most exquisite Descriptions of Devils already given by me or any Body
else; and even just as _Joan_ of _Arc_, or _Joan_ Queen of _Naples_
were, who were both sent home to their native Country, as soon as it was
discovered that they were real _Devils_, and that _Satan_ acknowledg'd
them in that Quality.
Nor does my Lady D----ss's wearing sometimes a Case of Humanity about
her, call'd _Flesh and Blood_, at all alter the Case; for so 'tis
Evident, according to our present Hypothesis, _Satan_ has been always
allow'd to do, upon urgent Occasions; ay, and to make his Personal
Appearance as such, among even the Sons and Daughters of God too, as
well as among the Children of Men; and therefore _her Grace_ may have
appeared in the Shape of a fine Lady, as long as she has been suppos'd
to do, without any Impeachment of her just Claim to the Title of
_Devil_; which being her true and natural Original, she ought not, nor
indeed shall not, by me, be denied her Shapes of Honour, whenever she
pleases to declare for a Re-assumption.
And farther, to give every Truth its due Illustration, this need not be
thought so strange; and is far from being unjust; _her Grace_ (as she,
it may be, is now stiled) has not acted, at least that I never heard of,
so unworthy her great and illustrious Original, that we should think she
has lost any thing by walking about the World so many Years in
Apparition: But to give her the due Homage of her Quality, she has acted
as consonant to the Essence and Nature of _Devil_, which she has such a
Claim to, as was consistent with the needful Reserve of her present
Disguise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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