Page:History of the devil, ancient and modern (3).pdf/21

 ( 21 ) ment, loſt fight of the ſpectre, who vaniſhed from them Theſe are ſome of the Devil's extraordinaries, and it muſt be confeſſed they are not the moſt agreeable to mankind; for ſometimes he takes upon him to diſorder his friends very much on thoſe occaſions, as in the above caſe of Charles VI. of France, the king, they ſay, was really demented ever after, that is, as we vul- garly, but not always improperly, expreſs it, he was really frighted out of his wits. Whether the malicious Devil intended it ſo, or not, is not certain, though it was not ſo foreign to his particular diſpoſition if he did. It is true Satan may be obliged to make different appearances as the ſeveral circumſtances of things call for it; in ſome caſes he makes his public entry, and then he muſt ſhew himſelf in his habit of ceremony : in other caſes he comes upon private buſineſs, and then he appears in diſguiſe ; in ſome public caſes he may think it fit to be incog. and then he appears dreſſed ala maſque ſo they ſay he appeared at the famous St. Bartholomew wedding at Paris where he came in dreſ- ſed like a trumpeter, danced in his habit,ſounded a levit, and then went out and rung the alarm bell which was the ſignal to begin the maſſacre) half an hour before the time appointed, left the king's mind ſhould alter, and his heart fail him. If this ſtory be not made upon him (for we ſhould not ſlander the Devil), it would ſeem, he was not tho roughly ſatisfied in king Charles IX's ſteadineſs in his cauſe ; for the king, it ſeems had relaxed a little once before; Satan might be afraid he would fall off again and ſo prevent the execution. Others ſay, that he did relent immediately after ringing the alarm bell; but that then it was too late; the work was begun, and the rage of blood having been let looſe among the people there was no recalling the order which was ex- ecutedfully, for every Proteſtant in Paris was that night