John Ferriar

“ The first impression was evidently occasioned by Bezuel’s fainting. I know, from my own experience, as well as that of others, that the approach of syncope is sometimes attended with a spectral appearance, which I believe is always a recollected image. But the subsequent attacks, in this case, appear to have been delirious; there can be little doubt that Bezuel was deceived in the length of his supposed dialogue with the spectre. We know well, how fallacious, [Pg 124] in this respect, the train of thought proves, in dreams, and in delirium. ”

“ I have no doubt, that dismal and frightful images have been presented, in the same manner, to young persons, after scenes of domestic affliction, or public horror.
From this renewal of external impressions, also, many of the phænomena of dreams admit an easy explanation. When an object is presented to the mind, during sleep, while the operations of judgment are suspended, the imagination is busily employed in forming a story, to account for the appearance, whether agreeable or distressing. ”

“ After this first impression wore off, she heard a voice tempting her to self-destruction, and prohibiting her from all exercises of piety. Such was the account given by her, when she was sensible of the delusion, yet unable to resist the horror of the impression. ”

“ When she was nearly recovered, I had the curiosity to question her, as I have interrogated others, respecting the forms of the demons with which they had been alarmed; but I never could obtain any other account, than that they were small, very much deformed, and had horns and claws, like the imps of our terrific modern romances.
I have been forced to listen with much gravity, to a man partially insane, who assured me that the devil was lodged in his side, and that I should perceive him thumping and fluttering there, in a manner which would perfectly convince me of his presence. ”

“ When the mind is loaded with a sense of insupportable guilt, partial insanity is at hand; and warning, or reproaching voices distract the feelings of the sufferer.
The appearance of bodies, sitting upright in the water, was no deception, though it contributed by its horror, to the illusions of the ear. ”

“ It is well known, that in certain diseases of the brain, such as delirium and insanity, spectral delusions take place, even during the space of many days. But it has not been generally observed, that a partial affection of the brain may exist, which renders the patient liable to such imaginary impressions, either of sight or sound, without disordering his [Pg 15] judgment or memory. From this peculiar condition of the sensorium, I conceive that the best supported stories of apparitions may be completely accounted for. ”

“ Woe unto us, who have committed ourselves to the black cloud, to be withdrawn from the circle coloured with the blood of divine grace, in which the grace of God, in his well-beloved Son, had inclosed us. ”

“ After repeated and close observations, and calm examination, I was unable to form any conclusion relative to the origin and continuation of the different phantasms which presented themselves to me. All that I could infer was, that while my nervous system was in such an irregular state, such phantasms would appear to me as if I actually saw and heard them; that these illusions [Pg 49] were not modified by any known laws of reason, imagination, or the common association of ideas, and that probably other people who may have had similar apparitions, were exactly in the same predicament. ”

“ In some cases, the imagination is assisted by physical causes, in a very imposing manner, as in the instance of the Giant of the Broken, [5] in Germany, [Pg 22] the ‘nursing mother’ of ghosts. The giant was seen to occupy the summit of a mountain, at certain periods, to the inexpressible amazement of the inhabitants of the valley, and of travellers. After many years of alarm and wonder, a passenger, while he was contemplating the dreadful apparition, was obliged to raise his hand quickly to his head, to secure his hat from being carried away, by a gust of [Pg 23] wind. ”

“ When the rising sun, and according to analogy the case will be the same at the setting sun, throws his rays over the Broken upon the body of a man standing opposite to fine light clouds floating around, or hovering past him, he needs only fix his eye steadfastly upon them, and in all probability, he will see the singular spectacle of his own shadow extending to the length of five or six hundred feet, at the distance of about two miles before him. ”

“ From the principles which I have established, the reader will easily proceed with me, to account for the most imposing relations of apparitions.
I have shewn that a morbid disposition of the brain is capable of producing spectral impressions, without any external prototypes. The religion of the ancients, which peopled all parts of nature with deities of different ranks, exposed them, in a peculiar manner, to delusions of the imagination ”

“ I am far from insensible, that at this extraordinary time of the Devil’s coming down in great wrath upon us, there are too many tongues and hearts thereby set on fire of hell, that the various opinions about the witchcrafts which of later time have troubled us, are maintained by some with so much loud fury, as if they could never be sufficiently stated, unless written in the liquor wherewith witches use to write their covenants ”

“ CHAP. IV. Medical distinctions of spectral impressions. Sepulchral remedies: Preparations of the human skull—Mumia—Apparition of Ficinus to Michael Mercato.—Warning voice to Quarræus.—Visions of Dr. Pordage. Latent lunacy—Exemplified in the character of Hamlet.
In medicine, we have fine names, at least, for every species of disease. The peculiar disorder, which I have endeavoured to elucidate, is termed generally Hallucination, including all delusive impressions, from the wandering mote before the eye, to the tremendous spectre, which is equally destitute of existence. ”

“ The dexterity and readiness with which he reconciles all events with the wayward system which he has adopted: his obstinacy in retaining and defending false impressions, and the lights of natural sagacity, and cultivated eloquence, which break frequently through the cloud that dims his understanding, are managed with consummate knowledge of partial insanity, though it is sometimes hardly perceptible to the general reader. ”

“ His collections of stories are entertaining; but my business is with his visions, which shew in a most astonishing manner, how far the mind may be [Pg 68] deceived, without the occurrence of actual derangement. They will be detailed in the next chapter. Had this man, instead of irritating his mental disease, by the study of the Platonic philosophers, placed himself under the care of an intelligent physician, he would have regained his tranquillity, and the world would have lost a most extraordinary set of confessions. ”

“ Yet, even in the most frantic assemblage of this nature, no novelty appears. The spectre may be larger or smaller; it may be compounded of the parts of different animals; but it is always framed from the recollection of familiar, though discordant images.
The simple renewal of the impressions of form or voice, in the case of particular friends, is the most obvious, and most forcible of these recollections. Of this kind, seems to have been the celebrated apparition of Ficinus, to Michael Mercato, mentioned by Baronius. ”

“ In one instance, which I heard from a friend on whose veracity I could depend, a gentleman fancied during the delirium of a fever, that a considerable estate had been bequeathed to him; the impression continued long after his recovery, and he was not undeceived without much trouble and difficulty.
There is a relation, published by authority, of some apparitions, which were seen at Portnedown bridge, after the [Pg 125] Irish massacre, which deserves consideration, as it must be explained on principles somewhat different. ”

“ In a certain stage of putrefaction, the bodies of persons which have been immersed in water, rise to the surface, and in deep water, are supported in an erect posture, to the terror of uninstructed spectators. Menacing looks and gestures, and even words, are supplied by the affrighted imagination, with infinite facility, and referred to the horrible apparition. I insert a striking instance from Dr. ”

“ I conversed sometimes with my physician and my wife of the phantasms which at the moment surrounded me; they appeared more frequently walking than at rest, nor were they constantly present. They frequently did not appear for some time, but always reappeared for a longer or a shorter period either singly or in company, the latter however being [Pg 52] most frequently the case. I generally saw human forms of both sexes, but they usually appeared not to take the smallest notice of each other, moving as in a market-place, where all are eager to press through the crowd ”

“ Instead of resorting to any arguments of this nature, I shall now proceed to shew, that the forms of objects which have no external prototypes, are exhibited to the mind, in certain states of the brain.
§ II.
In the course of my professional employment, I have frequently conversed with persons, who imagined that they saw demons, and heard them speak. This species of delusion admits of many gradations, and distinctions, exclusive of actual insanity.
[Pg 32]
When the brain is partially irritated, the patient fancies that he sees spiders crawling over his bed-clothes, or person ”

“ CHAP. V. Accessory causes of delusion, regarding spectral impressions—Apparition of Desfontaines—Ghosts at Portnedown Bridge—Lucian’s story of a Split Ghost—Instance of a Ghost in two places at once.
It will readily occur to the reader, that the disposition of the mind to hallucination must sometimes be powerfully aided, and encreased, by peculiar circumstances of time and place. Chance may supply, or artifice may contrive concomitant sounds and objects, which must appal even the most incredulous observer. ”

“ To those unfortunate persons, who feel a real dread of apparitions, I hope to offer considerations which will quiet their fears, and will even convert the horrors of solitude into a source of rational amusement. ”

“ The relation came to me, however, from a friend of one of the Seers.
Two elderly ladies, resided, each in her ancient castle, adjoining to the other, near the borders of Scotland. While they were beguiling a tedious winter evening, with accounts of their domestic policy, the conversation insensibly turned on the subject of their household ghosts: for at that time, every venerable old mansion had an established resident of that nature, who was as well known as the family-crest. ”

“ We cannot therefore collect too many of such well substantiated facts, as shew how easily our imagination imposes on us erroneous notions, and deludes not only delirious persons but even those who are in full possession of their faculties, by causing them to see phantasms which scarcely can be distinguished from real appearances. ”

“ But when I consider the delight with which stories of apparitions are received by persons of all ages, and of the most various kinds of knowledge and ability, I cannot help feeling some degree of complacency, in offering to the makers and readers of such stories, a view of the subject, which may extend their enjoyment far beyond its former limits. ”

“ The vision itself resembles the royal shadows in Macbeth.
“You desired to have a more particular [Pg 82] account of——a certain prophecy of one Arise Evans, which you have heard some of your friends speak of in terms of astonishment; as I have his book which is scarce, I am able to give you that satisfaction. But it may not be amiss first to let you into the character of the prophet. Arise Evans lived and flourished in the last century, during the time of our civil confusions. He was a warm Welshman, and not disposed to be an idle spectator in so busy a scene. ”

“ It is probably on the same principle, that we are to account for the appearances of armies marching, in desert and inaccessible places, which are sometimes beheld by the inhabitants of the vallies, in mountainous regions. The accidents of light and shade, and the interposition of partial fogs, or clouds, produce the same effect on the eye, as the discoloured patches of the wall; and the rolling of the mist adds motion to the spectral images. ”

“ Jonson told him, that “when the king came to England, about the time that the plague was in London, he being in the country, at Sir Robert Cotton’s house with old Cambden, he saw in a vision his eldest son, then a young child and at London, appear unto him with the mark of a bloody cross on his forehead, as if it had been cut with a sword, at which amazed he prayed unto God, and in the morning he came unto Mr. Cambden’s chamber to tell him, who persuaded [Pg 59] him it was but an apprehension, at which he should not be dejected. ”

“ CHAP. III. Beaumont’s Visions—Those of Tasso—Kotter—Drabicius—Arise Evans—Bovet.
Physicians have sometimes occasion to regret the prolixity of the statements, which they receive from their patients. Beaumont has been rather more diffusive than usual; for his book, which may be considered as a narrative of his malady, contains four hundred pages, in octavo. It is, however very much to my purpose, for it exhibits the disease of spectral vision, in its full strength and permanency. ”

“ CHAP. II. A lawyer’s argument for the existence of witchcraft—Proofs of spectral impressions, from recollected perceptions—New England witches—Cardan—Donne—Jonson—The maid of France—and other visionaries.
In a compilation, on the duties of a Justice of Peace, published by Nelson, we meet with a proof of the existence of witchcraft, which the editor appears to have thought irrefragable. “It seems,” saith he, “that there must formerly have been such a crime as witchcraft, because divers statutes have been made against it.” ”

“ It is impossible to see this phenomenon, except when the sun is at such an altitude as to throw his rays upon the body in a horizontal direction; for, if he is higher, the shadow is thrown rather under the body than before it. In the month of September last year, as I was making a tour through the Harz with a very agreeable party, and ascended the Broken, I found an excellent account, and explanation of this phenomenon, as seen by M. Haue on the 23rd of May 1797, in his diary of an excursion to that mountain. ”