are confidered as humiliating with us, you will fee them carrying to and fro, in open day, and as a fort of pageantry of display, all the arcana of the bedchamber; whether you are in fickness or in health, it is the fame thing; and I have remarked, that the fervants who prefide over these fhews-in England they would be myfteries, and difpofed of as if by magick-the fervants, I fay, generally choose to exhibit their machines at breakfast, by paffing from one room to another, not fo much as fuppofing it poffible that your delicacy can be diftreffed about the matter. Our fenfe of propriety on this occafion paffes for mauvaise honte. May it never be exchanged for either confident impudence, or habitual grofsnefs, which, though lefs culpable, is not lefs offenfive. In a word, may that shamefacedness, which the holy writers have used to fignify one of the most lovely virtues in oppofition to the boldeft vice, ever continue to be reckoned amongst the prejudices of British education! A prayer in which I am fure your own modest nature, and chastened manners, will heartily join your affectionate friend.

LETTER LXV.

TO THE SAME:

I

IN N our firft fheaf I collected for you a Gleaning of the village fuperftitions of Wales. will now offer you thofe of Germany, especially in the country of Juliers, Le Mark, &c. bordering on Weftphalia. The country people of those places have the most folemn faith in forceries and witches, who, though in their proper fhape, are only a pack of very old women, can affume any form, either beftial or human; but are, it seems, most fond of appearing in the character of cats. Some of this witchery is carried to fuch excess, that many people in the country of Juliers will on no confideration intermarry with a perfon, who may be suspected of having a forcerer's blood in his veins; nay, the most advantageous matches have been refused, and the attractions of love itself been refifted, rather than a daughter should go to the arms of a man who has ever had a witch in his family; and the genealogical tree was never more cautiously examined, and traced by a birth-proud noble to escape the difgrace of pollution, than it is to avoid an alliance with a forcerer

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forcerer or forcerefs. If there can be found in the history of twenty generations, only twigs fufficient to make up one hereditary befom, or broomstick, on which the witch by descent might horse two of her fingers; not only the fhuddering parent, but the trembling lover, would confider it as ftrong a bar to his marriage, as if his mistress had been taken in inceft.

They believe alfo in loup-garous, or menwolves. A gentleman of the first character here for learning and integrity, but who, unhappily for his country, is now no more (Mr. Bauman, of the Privy Council of Cleves, and first pastor of the reformed church), related to me the ftory. of a man at Cologne, who affumed the character of a loup-garou, and who lived many years by. the pillage, of whatever in that character he could lay his hands on; infomuch that he had amaffed great wealth, as well in money as valuable moveables; but he was at last affaulted and taken, by a countryman who fwore he defied the devil and all his works, and who had been long marked with general opprobrium for his daring disbelief of evil fpirits. This man was encountered by the loup-garou, on the day he was known to have fold a quantity of corn, at the Cologne market, and to have received the money; but fo far was he from tamely yielding up his honeft profits to either man or beast, that instead of flying with

terror

terror before the wolf-man, or dropping his money-bag, he held the faid bag at the extent of his arm, which was a powerful one, and felled the thief to the earth, with that very gold and filver which he would have purloined. When he fomewhat recovered the blow, our heroick farmer threw him like a stunned calf over his horse, even in his wolf cloathing, and delivered him to the magiftrate, who, after the due course of law, ordered him to be hung in his loup-garou drefs, in the public market-place of Cologne. It might have been thought that this difafter would have opened the eyes of fuperftition; but, alas ! eyes hath fhe, and feeth not! Neither are her Notaries to be driven from the steadfast faith that was in them by the detection of a fingle impoftor. On the contrary the Colognians believe, at least they have a tradition at this day, that the real loup-garou, being angry with the man that was hung, got into him, and in order to be revenged, put it into the head of the farmer, that he might be taken up as a thief, and come

an untimely end; but that the inftant the halter was round the pretender's neck, the Spirit of the real wolf-man flipped out of him again, and enjoyed his triumph, to think how cleverly he had brought his enemy to the gallows. Thus the very circumftances that ought to weaken fuperftition give it strength.

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Their

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Their credulity embraces alfo feveral other imaginary beings, particularly of the fairy tribe. Thefe, however, differ from our's in fome of their manners and customs. They are of the fame fpecies, but inhabitants of a different country, you know. The most popular of the Germany fairies are fuppofed to be little men and women who inhabit the iron and copper mines, and are, in general, very gracious and obliging. For instance, they will come in the night time into houses, and when a maid fervant happens to be on good terms with them, that is, when fhe believes in their power with all her might, they will clean her plates and dishes after an entertainment; put her rooms in order, and even give her an idea of it in her fleep, so that as a fairy was never known in this country to fib, though with us they are somewhat given to lying, fhe indulges herself with a nap extraordinary; and is fure to find all her work done to her hands when he comes down. They come alfo into fhops, warehoufes, &c. with the fame induftrious and good-natured intention. The taylor rifes and finds the half-finished fuit ready to take home; the cobler his fhoes, &c. Nevertheless, when ill-treated, thefe powerful little fpirits are cruelly vindictive, and will hide, mangle, and destroy every thing before them: inftead of affifting the artifan, they will pull his

work