William Ogilvie

“ Ogil. I do not doubt it, but what is that to my question about what I am solicitous?
Cool. Take a little patience, sir, from what I have said, you might have understood me, if you had thoughts about you, but I shall explain myself to you. ”

“ Many are the good offices which be good angels do to them that fear God, tho' many times they are not sensible of it; and I know assuredly, that a powerful angel, or even an active clever soul departed may be sufficient for some villages; but for your great cities, such as London, Edinburgh, or the like, there is one great angel that has the fuperintendance of the whole; and there is inferior angels, or souls departed to whose peculiar care such a man, of such a particular weight or business is committed. ”

“ Excuse me, sir, that does not contradict one word that I have said, but you seem not to understand the parable, whose only end is to illustrate the truth, that a man may be very happy and flourishing in this world, and most wretched and miserable in the next ”

“ You must know that there are sent from heaven angels to ward and comfort, and so to do other special good services to good people, and even the spirits of good men deaparted, are employed in that fame errand. ”

“ Both the good and the bad angels have stated times of rendezvous, and the principal angels, who have the charge either of towns, cities or kingdoms, not to mention particular persons, villages and families, and all that is transacted in these several parts of the country, are there made open, and at their re-encounter on each side, every thing is told, as in your parish, in milns, kilns, and smithies, only with this difference, that many things false are talked at the living re-encounters, but nothing but what is exact truth is said or told among the dead ”

“ A gross mistake, and it is not the alone mistake which the living folks fall under, with respect to the other world, for the case plainly is this, an ill man will not stick at any falsehood to promote his design, so, as little will an evil foul departed, ftand at any thing that can make himself successful; but in making report, he must tell the truth, or woe be to him; but besides their monthly, quarterly, or yearly meetings, or whatever they be, departed souls acquainted, may take a trip to see one another yearly, weekly, daily, or oftener if they please. ”

“ Tell me then, since such is your ability, that you can fly thousand miles in the twinkling of an eye, if you desire to do the expressed justice, be as great as yonu pretend, what's the reason you don't fly to the coffers of some rich Jew or bankier, where There are ten thousands of gold and Glver, and invisibly lift, and invisibly return it to the injured? And since your wife has sufficient land and more, why cannot you empty her purse in your invisibility, to make these people amends? ”

“ Cool. You may depend upon it, it is not same body that I was witness to your marriage in, nor in which I died, for that is in the grave rotting; but it is such a body as serves me for the moment; for I can fly as fleet with it as my (illegible text) can do without it; so that I can go to Dumfries and return again, before you can ride twice the length of your horse ”

“ They never properly rejected the terms of salvation, they never, strictly speaking, rejected Christ; poor souls, they had as great a liking both to him and heaven as their gross imaginations were capable of: Impartial reason must make many allowances, as the stupidity of their parents, want of education, distance from people of good sense and knowledge, and uninterrupted application they were obliged to give to their secular affairs for their daily bread, the impious treachery of their pastors, who persuaded them, if they were of such a party, all was well ”

“ No, but a great many particular men have; there are but few houses of distinction especially, but that have at least one attending them, and from what you have already heard of spirits, it is no difficult matter to understand how they may be serviceable to each particular member, tho' at different places, at a great distance. ”

“ There are great many things I can answer the living are quite ignorant of; there are a great many things that notwithstanding the (illegible text) knowledge I have acquired since my death, that I cannot answer ”

“ Upon (illegible text) said, 'Tis a pity, Cool, that you who know any things, should not know the difference between an absolute and a conditional promise; (illegible text) indeed at the time you mention, blame Mr Paton, for I thought him justly blameable hindering the lad to meet with you; and if I had been in his place, I would have acted quite the reverse; but I did never say that if you w (illegible text) come to Innerwick and employ me, that I w (illegible text) go all the way to Dumfries on such an errand that is what never so much as entered into my thoughts. ”

“ Scots, and three years interest; but hearing of his death, my good-brother, the laird of C———l, and I, forged a discharge, narrated the bond, the sum, and other particulars, with this honourable clause, that at that time, it had fallen by, and could not be found, with an obligation on the provost's part to deliver up the bond as soon as he could hit upon it; and this discharge was dated 3 months before the provost's death; and when his son and successor, Andrew Crosby, wrote to me concerning this bond. ”

“ You are a little too forward this night, sir, and inclined much to banter, what I've said might satisfy you; but since it does not, I'll tell you further, that no fpirits, good or bad, have power to take any money or gold; the good never do, tho' the (illegible text) nd if once in an age, it is no small quarrel, for if it were allowed them, then they would be very successful in their business, and never fail of gaining their points. ”