take it kindly from you. I would transcribe it for Dr. Henry More, to
whom, as I remember, I promised some time since an account of the
Barnstable apparition; but my hands are full of work. May I beg of you
to visit Dr. Whitchcot, minister of St. Laurence church, and to
communicate a sight of this letter from Barnstable: probably he will
be willing to make his servant transcribe it, and to convey it to Dr.
More. Pray present my humble service to him, as also my affectionate
service to our friends Mr. Hook and Mr. Lodwick. I ever rest, SIR,

Your most faithful
And affectionate servant,

Chedzoy.            ANDREW PASCHAL.


THERE was in Scotland one --- (an obsessus) carried in the air several
times in the view of several persons, his fellow-soldiers. Major
Henton hath seen him carried away from the guard in Scotland,
sometimes a mile or two. Sundry persons are living now, (1671) that
can attest this story. I had it from Sir Robert Harley (the son) who
married Major Henton's widow; as also from E. T. D. D.

A gentleman of my acquaintance, Mr. M. was in Portugal, anno 1655,
when one was burnt by the inquisition for being brought thither from
Goa, in East-India, in the air, in an incredible short time.


      VISIONS IN A BERYL OR CRYSTAL.


BERYL is a kind of Crystal that hath a weal tincture of red; it is one
of the twelve stones mentioned in the Revelation. I have heard,* that
spectacles were first made of this stone, which is the reason that the
Germans do call a spectacle-glass (or pair of spectacles) a Brill.

*Dr J. Pell

Dr. Pocock of Oxford, in his Commentary on Hosea, hath a learned
discourse of the Urim and Thummim; as also Dr. Spenser of Cambridge.
That the priest had his visions in the stone of the breast plate.

The Prophets had their seers, viz. young youths who were to behold
those visions, of whom Mr. Abraham Cowley writes thus.

      With hasty wings, time present they out-fly,
      And tread the doubtful maze of destiny;
      There walk and sport among the years to come,
      And with quick eye pierce every causes womb.

The magicians now use a crystal sphere, or mineral pearl, as No. 3,
for this purpose, which is inspected by a boy, or sometimes by the
querent himself.

No. 3. {Illustration}

There are certain formulas of prayer to be used, before they make the
inspection, which they term a call. In a manuscript of Dr. Forman of
Lambeth, (which Mr. Elias Ashmole had) is a discourse of this, and the
prayer. Also there is the call which Dr. Nepier did use.

James Harrington (author of Oceana) told me that the Earl of Denbigh,
then Ambassador at Venice, did tell him, that one did shew him there
several times in a glass, things past and to come.

When Sir Marmaduke Langdale was in Italy, he went to one of those
Magi, who did shew him a glass, where he saw himself kneeling before a
crucifix: he was then a Protestant; afterwards he became a Roman
Catholick. He told Mr. Thomas Henshaw, E.S.S., this himself.

I have here set down the figure of a consecrated Beryl, as No. 4, now
in the possession of Sir Edward Harley, Knight of the Bath, which he
 keeps in his closet at Brampton-Bryan in Herefordshire, amongst his
Cimelia, which I saw there. It came first from Norfolk; a minister had
it there, and a call was to be used with it. Afterwards a miller had
it, and both did work great cures with it, (if curable) and in the
Beryl they did see, either the receipt in writing, or else the herb.
To this minister, the spirits or angels would appear openly, and
because the miller (who was his familiar friend) one day happened to
see them, he gave him the aforesaid Beryl and Call: by these angels
the minister was forewarned of his death.

No. 4. {Illustration}

This account I had from Mr. Ashmole. Afterwards this Beryl came into
some-body's hand in London, who did tell strange things by it;
insomuch that at last he was questioned for it, and it was taken away
by authority, (it was about 1645).

This Beryl is a perfect sphere, the diameter of it I guess to be
something more than an inch: it is set in a ring, or circle of silver
resembling the meridian of a globe: the stem of it is about ten
inches high, all gilt. At the four quarters of it are the names of
four angels, viz. Uriel, Raphael, Michael, Gabriel. On the top is a
cross patee.

Sam. Boisardus hath writ a book "de Divinatione per Crystallum".

A clothier's widow of Pembridge in Herefordshire, desired Dr.
Sherborne (one of the canons of the church of Hereford, and Rector of
Pembridge) to look over her husband's writings after his decease:
among other things he found a call for a crystal. The clothier had his
cloths oftentimes stolen from his racks; and at last obtained this
trick to discover the thieves. So when he lost his cloths, he went out
about midnight with his crystal and call, and a little boy, or little
maid with him (for they say it must be a pure virgin) to look in the
crystal, to see the likeness of the person that committed the theft.
The doctor did burn the call, 1671.


VISIONS WITHOUT A GLASS OR CRYSTAL.


ABOUT the latter end of the reign of King James I. one --- a taylor in
London, had several visions, which he did describe to a painter to
paint, and he writ the description himself in an ill taylor-like hand,
in false English, but legible: it was at least a quire of paper. I
remember one vision is of St. James's park, where is the picture of an
altar and crucifix. Mr. Butler'of the toy-shop by Ludgate, (one of the
masters of Bridewell) had the book in anno 1659; the then Earl of
Northampton gave five pounds for a copy of it.


CONVERSE WITH ANGELS AND SPIRITS.


DR. RICHARD NEPIER was a person of great abstinence, innocence, and
piety: he spent every day two hours in family prayer: when a patient
or querent came to him, he presently went to his closet to pray: and
told to admiration the recovery, or death of the patient. It appears
by his papers, that he did converse with the angel Raphael, who gave
him the responses.

Elias Ashmole, Esq. had all his papers, where is contained all his
practice for about fifty years; which he, Mr. Ashmole, carefully bound
up, according to the year of our Lord, in --- volumes in folio; which
are now reposited in the library of the Musseum in Oxford. Before the
responses stands this mark, viz. R. Ris. which Mr. Ashmole said was
Responsum Raphaelis.

In these papers are many excellent medicines, or receipts for several
diseases that his patients had; and before some of them is the
aforesaid mark, Mr. Ashmole took the pains to transcribe fairly with
his own hand all the receipts; they are about a quire and a half of
paper in folio, which since his death were bought of his relict by
E. W. Esq. E.S.S.

The angel told him if the patient were curable or incurable.

There are also several other queries to the angel, as to religion,
transubstantiation, &c. which I have forgot. I remember one is,
whether the good spirits or the bad be most in number ? R. Ris. The
good.

It is to be found there, that he told John Prideaux, D.D. anno 1621,
that twenty years hence (1641) he would be a bishop, and he was so,
sc. bishop of Worcester. '

R. Ris. did resolve him, that Mr. Booth, of --- in Cheshire, should
have a son that should inherit three years hence, [sc. Sir George
Booth, the first Lord Delamere] viz. from 1619, Sir George Booth
aforesaid was born, December 18, anno 1622.

This I extracted out of Dr. Nepier's Original Diary, then in
possession of Mr. Ashmole.

When E. W. Esq. was about eight years old, he was troubled with the
worms. His grand father carried him to Dr. Nepier at Lynford. Mr. E.
W. peeped in at the closet at the end of the gallery, and saw him upon
his knees at prayer. The Doctor told Sir Francis that at fourteen
years old his grandson would be freed from that distemper; and he was
so. The medicine he prescribed was, to drink a little draught of
Muscadine in the morning. 'Twas about 1625.

It is impossible that the prediction of Sir George Booth's birth could
be found any other way, but by angelical revelation.

This Dr. Richard Nepier was rector of Lynford in Bucks, and did
practise physic; but gave most to the poor that he got by it. 'Tis
certain he told his own death to a day and hour; he died praying upon
his knees, being of a very great age, April 1, 1634. He was nearly
related to the learned Lord Nepier, Baron of M-- in Scotland: I have
forgot whether his brother. His knees were horny with frequent
praying. He left his estate to Sir Richard Nepier, M.D. of the college
of physicians, London, from whom Mr. Ashmole had the Doctor's picture,
now in the Musseum.

Dr. Richard Nepier, rector of Lynford, was a good astrologer, and so
was Mr. Marsh of Dunstable; but Mr. Marsh did seriously confess to a
friend of mine, that astrology was but the countenance; and that he
did his business by the help of the blessed spirits; with whom only
men of great piety, humility and charity, could be acquainted; and
such a one he was. He was an hundred years old when my friend was with
him; and yet did understand himself very well.

At Ashbridge in Buckinghamshire, near Berkhamsted, was a monastery,
(now in the possession of the Earl of Bridgewater) where are excellent
good old paintings still to be seen. In this monastery was found an
old manuscript entitled Johannes de Rupescissa, since printed, (or
part of it) a chymical book, wherein are many receipts; among others,
to free a house haunted with evil spirits, by fumes: Mr. Marsh had
it, and did cure houses so haunted by it. Ovid in his festivals hath
something like it. See "Thesaurus Exorcismorum" writ by --- e Societate
Jesu. Oct. Wherein are several high physical and medicinal things.

Good spirits are delighted and allured by sweet perfumes, as rich
gums, frankincense, salts, &c. which was the reason that priests of
the Gentiles, and also the Christians used them in their temples, and
sacrifices: and on the contrary, evil spirits are pleased and allured
and called up by suffumigations of Henbane, &c. stinking smells, &c.
which the witches do use in their conjuration. Toads (saturnine
animals) are killed by putting of salt upon them; I have seen the
experiment. Magical writers say, that cedar-wood drives away evil
spirits; it was, and is much used in magnificent temples.

      Plinii Natural Hist. lib. 12, cap. 14.
"Alexandra Magno in pueritia sine parsimonia thura ingerenti aris,
paedagogus Leonides dixerat, ut illo modo, cum devicisset thuriferas
gentes, supplicaret. At ille Arabia potitus; thure onustam navim
misit ei, large exhortatus, ut Deos adoraret".

i. e. As Alexander the great, in the time of his minority, was
heaping incense upon the altars, even to a degree of religious
prodigality, his preceptor Leonidas told him, that he should prefer
his supplications to the Gods after that free manner, when he had
subdued the nations, whose produce was frankincense. And he, as soon
as he had made himself master of Arabia, sent him accordingly a ship
laden with incense, and with it ample exhortations to adore the Gods.

One says, why should one think the intellectual world less peopled
than the material? Pliny, in his Natural History, lib. --- cap. -
tells us that in Africa, do sometimes appear multitudes of aerial
shapes, which suddenly vanish. Mr. Richard Baxter in his Certainty
of the Worlds of Spirits, (the last book he writ, not long before his
death) hath a discourse of angels; and wonders they are so little
taken notice of; he hath counted in Newman's Concordance of the Bible,
the word angel, in above three hundred places.

Hugo Grotius in his Annotations on Jonah, speaking of Niniveh, says,
that history has divers examples, that after a great and hearty
humiliation, God delivered cities, &c. from their calamities. Some did
observe in the late civil wars, that the Parliament, after a
humiliation, did shortly obtain a victory. And as a three-fold chord
is not easily broken, so when a whole nation shall conjoin in fervent
prayer and supplication, it shall produce wonderful effects. William
Laud, Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, in a sermon preached before the
Parliament, about the beginning of the reign of King Charles I.
affirms the power of prayer to be so great, that though there be a
conjunction or opposition of Saturn or Mars, (as there was one of them
then) it will overcome the malignity of it. In the life of Vavasor
Powel, is a memorable account of the effect of fervent prayer, after an
exceeding drought: and Mr. Baxter (in his book aforementioned) hath
several instances of that kind, which see.

      **St. Michael and all Angels.
      The Collect.

0 everlasting God, who hast ordered and constituted the services of
men and angels, after a wonderful manner: mercifully grant, that as
thy holy angels always do thee service in Heaven: so by thy
appointment, they may succour and defend us, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.


      CORPS-CANDLES IN WALES.


      **Part of a Letter to MR. BAXTER.

SIR

I AM to give you the best satisfaction I can touching those fiery
apparitions* (Corps Candles) which do as it were mark out the way for
corpses to their {Greek text: Koimeterion} and sometimes before the
parties themselves fall sick, and sometimes in their sickness. I could
never hear in England of these, they are common in these three
counties, viz. Cardigan, Carmarthen, and Pembroke, and as I hear in
some other parts of Wales.**

* Mr. Baxter's Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits, p. 137.
** And Radnor.

These {Greek text: Phantasmata} in our language, we call Canhwyllan
Cyrph, (i.e.) Corps Candles; and candles we call them, not that we
see any thing besides the light; but because that light doth as much
resemble a material candle-light as eggs do eggs, saving, that in
their journey these candles be "modo apparentes, modo disparentes",
especially, when one comes near them; and if one come in the way
against them, unto whom they vanish; but presently appear behind and
hold on their course. If it be a little candle pale or bluish, then
follows the corps either of an abortive or some infant; if a big one,
then the corps of some one come to age: if there be seen two, or
three, or more, some big, some small together, then so many and such
corpses together. If two candles come from divers places, and be seen
to meet, the corpses will the like; if any of these candles are seen
to turn, sometimes a little out of the way, or path, that leadeth to
the church, the following corps will be forced to turn in that very
place, for the avoiding some dirty lane or plash, &c. Now let us fall
to evidence. Being about the age of fifteen, dwelling at Lanylar, late
at night, some neighbour saw one of these candles hovering up and down
along the river bank, until they were weary in beholding it, at last
they left it so, and went to bed. A few weeks after came a proper
damsel from Montgomeryshire, to see her friends, who dwelt on the
other side of that river Istwith, and thought to ford the river at
that very place where the light was seen; being dissuaded by some

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