The secret commonwealth of elves, fauns & fairiesKirk, Robert
Science
The secret commonwealth of elves, fauns & fairies
Kirk, Robert
Clairvoyance; Fairies; Parapsychology
5. THO my Collections were written long before I saw My Lord of
Tarbett’s, yet I am glad that his descriptions and mine correspond
so nearly. The Maid my Lord mentions, who saw her Image still before
her, suteth with the CO-WALKER named in my Account; which tho some,
at first Thought, might conjecture to be by the Refraction of a Cloud
or Mist, as in the Parelij, (the whole Air and every Drop of Water
being a Mirrour to returne the Species of Things, were our visive
Faculty sharpe enough to apprehend them,) or a naturall Reflexion,
from the same Reasons that an Echo can be redoubled by Airt; yet it
were more fasable to impute this Second Sight to a Quality infused
into the Eye by ane Unction: for Witchies have a sleepie Oyntment,
that, when applyed, troubles their Fantasies, advancing it to have
unusuall Figures and Shapes represented to it, as if it were a Fit
of Fanaticism, Hypocondriack Melancholly, or Possession of some
insinuating Spirit, raising the Soul beyond its common Strain, if the
palpable Instances and Realities seen, and innocently objected to the
Senses did not disprove it, make the Matter a palpable Verity, and no
Deception; yet since this Sight can be bestowed without Oyntment, or
dangerous Compact, the Qualification is not of so bad an Originall.
Therefore,
6. BY my Lord’s good Leave, I presume to say, that this Sight can
be no Quality of the Air nor of the Eyes; becaus, 1. such as live in
the same Air, and sie all other Things as farr off and as clearly,
yet have not the SECOND SIGHT. 2. A SEER can give another Person
this Sight transiently, by putting his Hand and Foot in the Posture
he requires of him. 3. The unsullied Eyes of Infants can naturally
perceave no new unaccustomed Objects, but what appear to other Men,
unless exalted and clarified some Way, as Ballaam’s Ass for a Time;
tho in a Witches Eye the Beholder cannot sie his own Image reflected,
as in the Eyes of other People; so that Defect of Objects, as well
as Diversities of the Subject, may appear differently on severall
Tempers and Ages. 4. Tho also some are of so venemous a Constitution,
by being radicated in Envy and Malice, that they pierce and kill
(like a Cockatrice) whatever Creature they first set their Eye on
in the Morning; so was it with Walter Grahame, some Time living in
the Paroch wherein now I am, who killed his own Cow after commending
its Fatness, and shot a Hair with his Eyes, having praised its
swiftness, (such was the Infection of ane evill Eye;) albeit this was
unusuall, yet he saw no Object but what was obvious to other Men as
well as to himselfe. 5. If the being transported to live in another
Countrey did obscure the Second Sight, nather the Parson nor the Maid
needed be much troubled for her Reflex-selfe; a little Peregrination,
and going from her wonted Home, would have salved her Fear. Wherefore,
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