Andrews, wifhed to confult him, he declared without hesitation the exact fituation of the planets at his nativity, which he afterwards verified, by calculating his horofcope. Several hiftorians relate that after curing the Archbishop, he foretold the manner of his death; but the truth of this affertion is extremely doubtful, for Cardan, who was not disposed to conceal his own excellence, would not have failed to boast of so extraordinary a circumstance, yet we find no trace of the prediction in his works, though he published Hamilton's Horoscope, among others, with a commentary. Porta and Fernelius followed Cardan in combining medicine with astrology. Paracelfus, by fuppofing a fpirit derived from fome constellation to refide in every human being, rendered the connection ftill more intimate. Severinus and Hartmann followed his opinions. Horftius believed not only that certain conjunctions of the ftars produce epidemics, but that evil afpects produce miafmata*. The grave and fagacius Lommius supposes that the appearance of comets prefages the plague +. At length, the Cartefian Philofophy produced inquiries that terminated in more rational conclufions refpecting medicine; the influence of fore of the planetary bodies on the human frame was allowed, as far as they could be fuppofed to affect the state of the atmosphere, but the effect of their * Page 258. + Obf. Med. p. 31. afpects afpects was denied. But the opinion was not fo speedily difcredited among other claffes of men, as with physicians. Some of the first characters in France were infatuated with their belief in pretended prophets. Wierus* fays they were remarkable in his time on this account. Sully declares that one of the confiderations which kept him faithful to his master, in the most unpromising state of his affairs, was a prediction of La Broffe, that Henry would make his fortunet; Henry himself was very uneasy, before his affaffination, on account of fome propheciest. The aftrologer Morin directed Cardinal Richlieu's motions in fome of his journies §. In this country prophecies were always eagerly attended to: Commines fays, that in his time, an Englishman was never without a prophecy in his mouth. The ftatute of Queen Elizabeth against falfe prophecies, was occafioned by the disturbances they excited in the ftate; the Earl of Northampton, in his Defenfative, afferts that they had produced many civil commotions, and this affertion is repeated by Sir Edward Coke. During the reign of James I. the fashionable opinions encouraged every fpecies of delusion: Lilly was an useful tool to the Long Parliament, and if we may truft his own representation, con De Preftig. Demon. ↑ Mem. de Sully. + Memoir. Bayle Art. Morin. fidered fidered by them with respect; aftrologers and prophets fwarmed at that time, and the credit given to them will ceafe to furprize, when we recollect that the predictions of Rice Evans, who lived then, have found defenders in Warburton and Jortin*. To thefe we may add the names of Cudworth and Morhoff; the former defended prophecies in general, the latter the quatrains of Noftradamus †. It was in 1707, when this nation was advancing rapidly in the career of science, as well as of arms, that the They French prophets appeared among us. fpoke Latin and Greek without understanding either, as they pretended (E). It must be confeffed that these inspired paffages are extremely barbarous, but they made noise enough to attract the notice of government, and the prophets finished their miffion in Bridewell. A fact deferving more attention, is that at this time, when the extenfion of knowledge and reafon is fo proudly boasted, and in this ifland of philofophers, as fome delight to term it, the poffeffion of a prophetic faculty is believed in fome of the northern parts of the kingdom; and that fupported by evidence fo ftrong, as nearly to convince one of the moft acute philofophers of the age, in his vifit to thofe regions. This fpecies * See the Appendix to the first vol. of Jortin's Ecclef. Hift. Polyhift. lib. I. cap. X. tom. I. of of divination, fecond fight, or Taifh as it is called by the natives, confifts in a day-vifion as I know no better defcription of it than Thomfon's, I fhall borrow his words. As when a fhepherd of the Hebride ifles, Then all at once in air diffolves the wond'rous fhow. CAS. OF INDOLENCE, C. I. A very diftinct view of the Second Sight may be found in Martin's Hiftory of the Western Islands, with a large collection of narrations, furnished chiefly by the author's friends; feveral communicated by the Seers themselves. The vifions are frightful, and uneafy to the Seer, who thinks himself unfortunate in poffeffing this faculty. His appearance to the fpectators, during a vifion, (for he alone perceives it) is, as described, something like that of a patient in, catalepfy; he becomes immoveable, his eyes are fixed, and the eye-lids fometimes reverted. However if another Seer be prefent, the first can make him participate the vifion, if he has prefence of mind enough to touch him. They do not always understand the meaning of what VOL. III. D they they fee, and even when they form an abfolute prediction, in confequence of former experience, they are treated with derifion. Horfes and cows, adds my author, poffefs the fecond fight. Whatever may be the cafe with thefe fagacious animals, it appears highly probable that the Seers Their infular are hypochondriacal perfons. fituation, their folitary employments, their oppreffive poverty, added perhaps to the wild, uncultivated scenes of their country, are fufficient to produce a depraved ftate of body, and confequently of imagination, in those who are at all pre-difpofed. A proof that the vifions originate in the perfon's own fancy, is given, He relates undefignedly, by Martin himself. that a Seer informed him, he was entirely relieved from his vifions by wearing a fprig of St. John'sWort quilted in the cape of his coat. Whatever effects this plant (called Fuga Dæmonum from its fuppofed virtues) might have produced internally as a bitter, no medical qualities could be exerted by it in this cafe; and it is difficult to account for the contempt with which Martin confeffes the predictions were at first treated, otherwife than by fuppofing that the greater number had proved fallacious. Wierus fupplies an ample lift of the different fpecies of divination. The Chryftallomantia is well known in this country, by the fame of Kelly and Dee. This confifts in appearances of fpirits, or |