to his paffions. He is faid to have been engaged in no less than nineteen duels before he was twenty years of age. He was found in the Strand, apparently murdered by affaffins, who could never be difcovered after the ftricteft enquiry; but Fielding, the noted Beau, with whom he was known to have had a quarrel, did not efcape fufpicion. A little before this tragical event, he, if himfelf might be credited, faw his own spectre bloody and ghaftly, and was fo fhocked with the fight that he prefently fwooned. Upon his recovery, he went immediately to Sir Robert Southwell, his uncle, to whom he related the particulars of this ghoftly appearance, which were recorded, word for word, by the late lord Egmont, as he received them from the mouth of Sir Robert, who communicated them to him a little before his death. Lord Egmont alfo mentions a dream of one Mrs. Brown, of Bristol, relative to the murder, which dream is faid to have been exactly verified.

Extraordinary Inftance of Enthufiafm.

THE

HE moft fignal inftance of pure enthufiafm that hath ever occurred to me, is that of Mr. John Mason, minister of Water Stratford, near Buckingham. He was a man of great fimplicity of behaviour, of the most unaffected piety, and of learning and abilities far above the common level, till he was bewildered by the mysteries of Calvinifm, and infatuated with millenary notions. This calm and grave enthufiaft was as firmly perfuaded as he was of his own exiftence, and as strongly perfuaded others, that he was the Elias ap

pointed to proclaim the approach of Chrift, who was fpeedily to begin the millennium, and fix his throne at Water-Stratford. Crowds of people affembled at this place, who were fully convinced that this great æra would prefently commence; and efpecially after Mason had, in the most folemn manner, affirmed to his fifter and several other perfons, that as he lay on his bed, he faw Chrift in all his majefty. Never was there a fcene of more frantic joy, expreffed by finging, fiddling, dancing, and all the wildness of enthufiaftic gestures and rapturous vociferation, than was, for fome time, seen at Stratford; where a mixed multitude affembled to hail the approach of king Jefus. Every vagabond and village fidler that could be procured bore a part in the rude concert at this tumultuous jubilee. Mafon was observed to fpeak rationally on every fubject that had no relation to his wild notions in religion. He died, in 1697, foon after he fancied he had feen his Saviour, fully convinced of the reality of the vifion, and of his own divine miffion. See a parti

cular Account of his Life and Cha racter, by H. Maurice, rector of Tyringham, Bucks, 1645, 4to. pamphlet.

came as great a dreamer himself as any of that fraternity. He appears to have been, by turns, a dupe and a cheat, but acquired prodigious reputation, and was courted by the greatest princes in Europe, who thought that in poffeffing him, they fhould literally poffefs a treafure: he was offered large penfions by the emperors Charles V. Ferdinand, Maximilian, Rodolph, and the czar of Muscovy*. He travelled over great part of Europe, and feems to have been revered by many perfons of rank and eminence, as a being of a fuperior order. He pretended, that a black ftone, or fpeculum, which he made great ufe of, was brought him by angels, and that he was particularly intimate with Raphael and Gabriel. Edward Kelly, the affociate of his ftudies and travelst, who was efteemed an adept in chymistry, was appointed his feer, or fpeculator. He is faid to have written down what came from

the mouths of the angels or demons that appeared in the fpeculum. His reputation, as a Roficrucian, was equal, at leaft, to that of Dr. Dee; but he was fo unfortunate as to lose both his ears at Lancaster. It was confidently reported, that he raised a dead body in that county. He was imprisoned for a cheat in Germany, a country which hath produced more dupes to alchemy than all the other nations in Europe.

He pretended, that he was enjoined by fome of his friends, the

wives§," and he fo ftrictly adhered to this injunction, that he feems to have made it a part of his religion. Kelly died miferably from the effects of a fall, in escaping from his confinement, in Germany; and Dee, very poor, at Mortlake, in Surry; the former in October, 1595; the latter in the year 1608, and the eighty-first of his age.

"The black ftone into which doctor Dee used to call his fpirits," was in the collection of the earls of Peterborough, whence it came to lady Elizabeth Germaine. It was next the property of the late duke of Argyle, and is now Mr. Walpole's. It appears, upon examination, to be nothing but a polished piece of canal coal. But this is what Butler means, when he says, Kelly did all his feats upon The devil's looking-glafs, a stone.

Hud. Part II. Cant. iii. v. 631,2..
See "A true and faithful rela-

tion of what paffed for many years betwixt Dr. John Dee and fome fpirits :" London, 1659, fol. It is obfervable, from the analogy of ftyle, that the discourses of the true and falfe angels were compofed by the fame hand.

Some Account of Dr. Simon Forman. From Lilly's Hiftory of his own Life and Times.

Ν miftrefs died, the

W had under her arm-hole a

things,

things, which, one that was there, delivered unto me. There was in this bag feveral figils, fome of Jupiter in Trine, others of the nature of Venus, fome of iron, and one of gold, of pure angel gold, of the bignefs of a thirty-three fhilling piece of king James's coin. In the circumference on one fide was engraven, Vicit Leo de Tribu Jude Tetragrammaton+, within the middle there was engraven an holy lamb. In the other circumference there was Amraphel, and three X. In the middle, Sanctus Petrus, Alpha and Omega.

lings, but tranfcribed the words verbatim as I have related. Sir, you fhall now have a story of this Simon Forman, as his widow, whom I well knew, related it unto me. But before I relate his death, I fhall acquaint you fomething of the man, as I have gathered them from fome manufcripts of his own writing.

The occafion of framing this figil was thus; her former hufband travelling into Suffex, happened to lodge in an inn, and to lie in a chamber thereof; wherein, not many months before, a country grazier had lain, and in the night cut his own throat; after this night's lodging he was perpetually, and for many years, followed by a fpirit, which vocally and articulately provoked him to cut his throat; he was used frequently to fay, "I defy thee, I defy thee," and to fpit at the fpirit; this fpirit followed him many years, he not making any body acquainted with it; at laft, he grew melancholy and difcontented; which being carefully obferved by his wife, fhe many times hearing him pronounce, defy thee, &c." the defired him to acquaint her with the caule of his distemper, which he then did. Away he went to Dr. Simon Forman, who lived then in Lambeth, and acquaints him with it; who having framed this figil, and hanged it about his neck, he wearing it continually until he died, was never more molested by the fpirit: I fold the figil for thirty-two fhil

He was a chandler's fon in the city of Westminster. He travelled into Holland for a month in 1580, purpofely to be inftructed in aftrology, and other more occult fciences; as alfo in phyfic, taking his degree of doctor beyond feas: being fufficiently furnished and inftructed with what he defired, he returned into England towards the latter end of the reign of queen Elizabeth, and flourished until that year of king James, wherein the countefs of Effex, the earl of Somerfet, and Sir Thomas Overbury's matters were questioned. He lived in Lambeth with a very good report of the neighbourhood, efpecially of the poor, unto whom he was charitable. He was a person that in horary questions (efpecially thefts) was very judicious and fortunate; fo alfo in fickneffes, which indeed was his mafter-piece. In refolving questions about marriage he had good fuccefs: in other queltions very moderate. He was a perfon of indefatigable pains. I have feen fometimes half one theet of paper wrote of his judgment upon one question; in writing whereof he ufed much tautology, as you may see yourself (moil excellent efquire) if you read a great book of Dr. Flood's, which you have, who had all that book from the manufcripts of Forman; for I have feen the fame word for word in an English

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manuscript formerly belonging to Doctor Willoughby of Gloucesterfhire. Had Forman lived to have methodized his own papers, I doubt not but he would have advanced the Jatro mathematical part thereof very completely; for he was very obfervant, and kept notes of the fuccefs of his judgments, as in many of his figures I have observed. I very well remember to have read in one of his manuscripts, what followeth.

"Being in bed one morning," fays he, I was defirous to know "whether I fhould ever be a lord, "earl or knight, &c. whereupon "I fet a figure; and thereupon "my judgment:" by which he concluded, that within two years time he fhould be a lord or great man. But," fays he, "before "the two years were expired, the "doctors put me in Newgate, and "nothing came." Not long af ter, he was defirous to know the fame things concerning his honour or greatfhip. Another figure was fet, and that promised him to be a great lord within one year. But he fets down, that in that year he had no preferment at all; only I be"came acquainted with a merchant's wife, by whom I got well." There is another figure concerning one Sir

Ayre

his going into Turky, whether it would be a good voyage or not: the doctor repeats all his aftrological reasons, and mufters them together, and then gave his judgment it would be a fortunate voyage. But under this figure, he concludes, "this proved not fo, for he was "taken prifoner by pirates ere he "arrived in Turky, and loft all." He fet feveral questions to know if he should attain the philofophers

ftone, and the figures, according to his ftraining, did feem to fignify as much; and then he tuggs upon the aspects and configurations, and elected a fit time to begin his operations; but by and by, in conclufion, he adds, "fo the work "went very forward; but upon

the of the fetting-gla's "broke, and 1 loft all my pains." He fets down five or fix fuch judgments, but still complains all came to nothing, upon the malignant afpects of hand . Although fome of his aftrological judgments did fail, more particularly thofe concerning himself, he being no way capable of fuch preferment as he ambitiously defired; yet I fhall repeat fome other of his judgments, which did not fail, being performed by conference with fpirits. My mistress went once unto him, to know when her husband, then in Cumberland, would return, he having promifed to be at home near the time of the question. After fome confideration, he told her to this effect: "Margery," for so her name was, "thy huf"band will not be at home thefe

eighteen days; his kindred have " vexed him, and he is come. 66 away from them in much anger: "he is now in Carlisle, and hath "but three pence in his purfe." And when he came home, he confeffed all to be true, and that upon leaving his kindred he had but three pence in his purfe. I fhall relate one ftory more, and then his death.

One Coleman, clerk to Sir Tho mas Beaumont, of Leicestershire, having had fome liberal favours both from his lady and her daughters, bragged of it, &c. The knight brought him into the ftar.chamber,

had

had his fervant fentenced to be pilloried, whipped, and afterwards, during life, to be imprifoned The fentence was executed in London, and was to be in Leicestershire. Two keepers were to convey Coleman from the Fleet to Leicester. My miftrefs taking confideration of Coleman, and the miferies he was to fuffer, went prefently to Forman, acquainted him therewith; who, after confideration, swore Coleman had lain both with mother and daughters, &c. &c. and faid, they intend in Leicester to whip him to death; but I affure "thee, Margery, he fhall never come there; yet they fet for"ward tomorrow, "" fays he; and fo they did, Coleman's legs being locked with an iron chain under the horfe's belly. In this nature they travelled the first and fecond day; on the third day the two keepers, seeing their prifoner's civility the two preceding days, did not lock his chain under the horfe's belly, as formerly, but locked it only to one fide. In this pofture they rode fome miles beyond Northampton, when, on a fudden, one of the keepers had a neceffity to untrufs, and fo the other and Coleman ftood ftill; by and by the other keeper defired Coleman to hold nis horfe, for he had occafion alfo Coleman immediately took one of their fwords, and ran through two of the horfes, killing them ftark dead; gets upon the other, with one of their words: Farewell, gentle"men," quoth he, "tell my master "I have no mind to be whipped in "Leicestershire," and fo went his way. The two keepers, in all hafte, went to a gentleman's houfe near at hand, complaining of their misfortune, and defired him to pur

I could relate many fuch stories of his performances; as alfo what he wrote in a book left behind him, viz. "This I made the devil "write with his own hand in Lam"beth Fields 1596, in June or "July, as I now remember." He profeffed to his wife there would be much trouble about Carr and the countess of Effex, who frequently reforted unto him, and from whofe company he would fometimes lock himself in his ftudy a whole day. Now we come to his death, which happened as follows. The Sunday night before he died, his wife and he being at fupper in their gardenhoufe, the being pleafant, told him that the had been informed he could refolve, whether man or wife should die first: "Whe her thall I," quoth fhe, bury you or no?"

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Oh, Trunco," for fo he called her, "thou wilt bury me, but thou wilt much repent it." "Yea, but how long first?" "I thall die," faid he, ere Thursday "night." Monday came, ail was well. Tuesday came, he was not fick. Wednesday came, and ftill he was well; with which his impertinent wife did much twit him in the teeth. Thursday came, and dinner was ended, he ve y well: he went down to the water-fide, and took a pair of oars to go to fome

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