Page:A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More.djvu/164

 dead in a manner, and so lie a competent time sensless, whether, I say, their Souls goe out of their Bodies, or all be but represented to their Imagination.

We may adde a third, which may haply better fetch off the other two; and that is concerning your (which the Germans call Were-Wolff the French Loup garous) Men transformed into Wolves: and there is much-what the same reason of other Transformations. I shall not trouble you with any Histories of them, though I might produce many. But as well those that hold it is but a delusion of the Devil, & mere Tragedies in Dreams, as they that say they are real transactions, do acknowledge, that those parties that have confessed themselves thus transformed have been weary and sore with running, have been wounded, and the like. Bodinus here also is deserted of Remigius, who is of the same minde with Wierus, that sly, smooth Physician, and faithful Patron of Witches, who will be sure to load the Devil as much as he can, his shoulders being more able to bear it, and so to ease the Haggs.

3. But for mine own part, though I will not undertake to decide the Controversie; yet I think it not amiss to declare that Bodinus may very well make good his own, notwithstanding any thing those do alledge to the contrary. For that which * Wierus and * Remigius seem so much to stand upon, that it is too great a power for the Devil, and too great indignity to Man, that he should be able thus to transform him, are, in my minde, but slight Rhetorications, no sound Arguments.

For what is that outward mis-shapement of Body to the inward deformity of their Souls, which he helps on so notoriously? And they having given themselves over to him so wholly, why may he not use them thus here, when they shall be worse used by him hereafter? And for the changing of the species of things, if that were a power too big to be granted the Devil, yet it is no more done here, when he thus transforms a Man into a Wolf, then when he transforms himself into the shape of a Man. For this Wolf is still a Man, and that Man is still a Devil. For it is so as the Poet sayes it was in Ulysses his Companions which Circe turned into Hoggs, They had the Head, the Voice, the Body and Bristles of Hogs; but their Understanding was unchanged, they had the Mind and Memory of a Man as before. As Petrus Bourgotus professeth, that when his companion Michael Verdung had anointed his body and transform'd him into a Wolf, when he look'd upon his hairy Feet, he was at first afraid of himself.

4. Now therefore it being plain that nothing material is alledged to the contrary, and that Men confess they are turn'd into Wolves, and acknowledge the salvage cruelties they then committed upon Children, Women and Sheep, that they finde themselves exceeding weary, and sometimes wounded; it is more natural to conclude they were really thus transformed, then that it was a mere delusion of Phansy.

For I conceive the Devil gets into their Body, and by his subtile substance, more operative and searching then any fire or putrefying liquor,