Page:A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More.djvu/132

 90 Husband, who being in the flower of his Age, well in health and very chearful, going out of his house in the morning with an intent to return to Dinner, was, as he walked the streets, sensibly struck upon the thigh by an invisible hand, (for he could see no man near him to strike him.) He returned home indeed about dinner-time, but could eat nothing, only he complain'd of the sad Accident that befell him, and grew forthwith so mortally sick, that he died within three dayes. After he was dead, there was found upon the place where he was struck the perfect figure of a mans hand, the four fingers, palm and thumb, black and sunk into the flesh, as if one should clap his hand upon a lump of dow.

And hitherto there is nothing related which will not abide the exactest trial, and be cleared from all suspicion of either Fraud or Melancholy. But I shall propound things more strange, and yet as free from that suspicion as the former.

5. And to say nothing of Winds sold to Merchants by Laplanders, and the danger of loosing the Third knot (which was very frequent, as * Olaus affirms, before those parts of the world were converted to Christianity) I shall content my self for the present with a true Story which I heard from an eye-witness concerning these preternatural Winds. At Cambridge, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, there were two Witches to be executed, the Mother and Daughter, The Mother, when she was called upon to repent and forsake the Devil, said, there was no reason for that, for he had been faithfull to her these threescore years, and she would be so to him so long as she lived; and thus she died in this obstinacy. But she hanging thus upon the Gallows, her Daughter being of a contrary minde, renounced the Devil, was very earnest in prayer and penitence; which, by the effect, the people conceived the Devil to take very hainously. For there came such a sudden blast of wind (whenas all was calm before) that it drave the Mother's body against the Ladder so violently, that it had like to have overturn'd it, and shook the Gallows with such force, that they were fain to hold the posts for fear of all being flung down to the ground.

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