Part 29

Query 4.

They see all this visibly acted before their eyes; sometimes within, and sometimes without-doors, as in a glass.

Query 5.

It is a thing very troublesome to them that have it, and would gladly be rid of it. For if the object be a thing that is so terrible, they are seen to sweat and tremble, and shreek at the apparition. At other times they laugh, and tell the thing chearfully, just according as the thing is pleasant or astonishing.

Query 6.

Sure it is, that the persons that have a sense of God and religion, and may be presumed to be godly, are known to have this faculty. This evidently appears, in that they are troubled for having it, judging it a sin, and that it came from the Devil, and not from God; earnestly desiring and wishing to be rid of it, if possible; and to that effect, have made application to their minister, to pray to God for them that they might be exonered from that burden. They have supplicated the presbytery, who judicially appointed publick prayers to be made in several churches, and a sermon preached to that purpose, in their own parish church, by their minister; and they have compeired before the pulpit, after sermon, making confession openly of that sin, with deep sense on their knees; renounced any such gift or faculty which they had to God's dishonour, and earnestly desired the minister to pray for them; and this their recantation recorded; and after this, they were never troubled with such a sight any more.

**A Copy of a Letter, written to myself by a Gentleman's Son in Straths-pey in Scotland, being a Student in Divinity, concerning the Second-sight.

SIR,

I AM more willing than able to satisfy your desire: as for instances of such a knowledge, I could furnish many. I shall only insert some few attested by several of good credit yet alive.

And, first, Andrew Macpherson, of Clunie in Badenoch, being in sute of Lord of Gareloch's daughter, as he was upon a day going to Gareloch, the Lady Gareloch was going somewhere from her house within kenning to the road which Clunie was coming; the Lady preceiving him, said to her attendants, that yonder was Clunie, going to see his mistress: one that had this second-sight in her company replied, and said, if yon be he, unless he marry within six months, he'll never marry. The Lady asked, how did he know that ? he said, very well, for I see him, saith he, all inclosed in his winding-sheet, except his nostrils and his mouth, which will also close up within six months; which happened even as he foretold; within the said space he died, and his brother Duncan Macpherson this present Clunie succeeded. This and the like may satisfy your fourth query, he seeing the man even then covered all over with his dead linens. The event was visibly represented, and as it were acted (before his eyes) and also the last part of your second query, viz. that it was as yet to come. As for the rest of the questions, viz. That they discover present and past events, is also manifest, thus: I have heard of a gentleman, whose son had gone abroad, and being anxious to know how he was, he went to consult one who had this faculty, who told him, that that same day five o'clock in the afternoon his son had married a woman in France, with whom he had got so many thousand crowns, and within two years he should come home to see father and friends, leaving his wife with child of a daughter, and a son of six months age behind him: which accordingly was true. About the same time two years he came home, and verified all that was fore-told.

It is likewise ordinary with persons that lose any thing, to go to some of these men, by whom they are directed; how, what persons, and in what place they shall find it. But all such as profess that skill, are not equally dexterous in it. For instance, two of them were in Mr. Hector Mackenzie, minister of Inverness, his father's house; the one a gentleman, the other a common fellow; and discoursing by the fire side, the fellow suddenly begins to weep, and cry out, alas ! alas! such a woman is either dead, or presently expiring. The gentlewoman lived five or six miles from the house, and had been some days before in a fever. The gentleman being somewhat better expert in that faculty, said; no, saith he, she's not dead; nor will she die of this disease. 0, saith the fellow, do you not see her all covered with her winding-sheet; ay, saith the gentleman, I see her as well as you; but do you not see her linen all wet, which is her sweat ? she being presently cooling of the fever. This story Mr. Hector himself will testify. The most remarkable of this sort, that I hear of now, is one Archibald Mackeanyers, alias Macdonald, living in Ardinmurch, within ten or twenty miles, or thereby, of Glencoe, and I was present myself, where he foretold something which accordingly fell out in 1683; this man being in Straths-pey, in John Macdonald of Glencoe his company, told in Balachastell, before the Lord of Grant, his Lady, and several others, and also in my father's house; that Argyle, of whom few or none knew then where he was, at least there was no word of him then here; should within two twelve months thereafter, come to the West- Highlands, and raise a rebellious faction, which would be divided among themselves, and disperse, and he unfortunately be taken and beheaded at Edinburgh, and his head set upon the Talbooth, where his father's head was before him; which proved as true, as he fore-told it, in 1685, thereafter. Likewise in the beginning of May next after the late revolution, as my Lord Dundee returned up Spey-side, after he had followed General Major Mac Kay in his reer down the length of Edinglassie, at the Milatown of Gartinbeg, the Macleans joined him, and after he had received them, he marched forward, but they remained behind, and fell a plundering: upon which Glencoe and some others, among whom was this Archibald, being in my father's house, and hearing that Mac Leans and others were pillaging some of his lands, went to restrain them, and commanded them to march after the army; after he had cleared the first town, next my father's house of them, and was come to the second, there standing on a hill, this Archibald said, Glencoe, if you take my advice, then make off with your self with all possible haste, ere an hour come and go you'll be put to it as hard as ever you was: some of the company began to droll and say, what shall become of me ? whether Glencoe believed him, or no, I cannot tell; but this I am sure of, that whereas before he was of intention to return to my father's house and stay all night, now we took leave, and immediately parted. And indeed, within an hour thereafter, Mac Kay, and his whole forces, appeared at Culnakyle in Abernethie, two miles below the place where we parted, and hearing that Cleaverhouse had marched up the water-side a little before, but that Mac Leans and several other straglers, had stayed behind, commanded Major AEneas Mac Kay, with two troops of horse after them; who finding the said Mac Leans at Kinchardie, in the parish of Luthel, chased them up the Morskaith: in which chase Glencoe happened to be, and was hard put to it, as was foretold. What came of Archibald himself, I am not sure; I have not seen him since, nor can I get a true account of him, only I know he is yet alive, and at that time one of my father's men whom the red-coats meeting, compelled to guide them, within sight of the Mac Leans, found the said Archibald's horse within a mile of the place where I left him. I am also informed, this Archibald said to Glencoe, that he would be murdered in the night time in his own house three months before it happened.

Touching your third query, the objects of this knowledge, are not only sad and dismal; but also joyful and prosperous: thus they foretell of happy marriages, good children, what kind of life men shall live, and in what condition they shall die: and riches, honour, preferment, peace, plenty, and good weather.

Query 7.

What way they pretend to have it ? I am informed, that in the Isle of Sky, especially before the gospel came thither, several families had it by succession, descending from parents to children, and as yet there be many there that have it in that way; and the only way to be freed from it is, when a woman hath it herself, and is married to a man that hath it also; if in the very act of delivery, upon the first sight of the child's head, it be baptized, the same is free from it; if not, he hath it all his life; by which, it seems, it is a thing troublesome and uneasy to them that have it, and such as they would fain be rid of. And may satisfy your ninth query. And for your farther contentment in this query, I heard of my father, that there was one John du beg Mac Grigor, a Reanach man born, very expert in this knowledge, and my father coming one day from Inverness, said by the way, that he would go into an ale-house on the road, which then would be about five miles off. This John Mac Grigor being in his company, and taken up a slate stone at his foot, and looking to it, replied; nay, said he, you will not go in there, for there is but a matter of a gallon of ale in it even now, and ere we come to it, it will be all near drunken, and those who are drinking there, are strangers to us, and ere we be hardly past the house, they will discord among themselves: which fell out so; ere we were two pair of butts past the house, those that were drinking there went by the ears, wounded and mischieved one another. My father by this and several other things of this nature, turned curious of this faculty, and being very intimate with the man, told him he would fain learn it: to which he answered, that indeed he could in three days time teach him if he pleased; but yet he would not advise him nor any man to learn it; for had he once learned, he would never be a minute of his life but he would see innumerable men and women night and day round about him; which perhaps he would think wearisome and unpleasant, for which reason my father would not have it. But as skilful as this man was, yet he knew not what should be his own last end; which was hanging: And I am informed, that most, if not all of them, though they can fore-see what shall happen to others: yet they cannot foretell, much less prevent, what shall befal themselves. I am also informed by one who came last summer from the Isle of Sky, that any person that pleases will get it taught him for a pound or two of tobacco.

As for your last query. For my own part, I can hardly believe they can be justly presumed, much less truly godly. As for this Mac Grigor, several report that he was a very civil discreet man, and some say he was of good deportment, and also unjustly hanged. But Archibald Mackenyere will not deny himself, but once he was one of the most notorious thieves in all the Highlands: but I am informed since I came to this knowledge which was by an accident too long here to relate, that he has turned honester than before.

There was one James Mac Coil-vicalaster alias Grant, in Glenbeum near Kirk-Michael in Strathawin, who had this sight, who I hear of several that were well acquainted with him was a very honest man, and of right blameless conversation. He used ordinarily by looking to the fire, to foretell what strangers would come to his house the next day, or shortly thereafter, by their habit and arms, and sometimes also by their name; and if any of his goods or cattle were missing, he would direct his servants to the very place where to find them, whether in a mire or upon dry ground; he would also tell, if the beast were already dead, or if it would die ere they could come to it; and in winter, if they were thick about the fire-side, he would desire them to make room for some others that stood by, though they did not see them, else some of them would be quickly thrown into the midst of it. But whether this man saw any more than Brownie and Meg Mullach, I am not very sure; some say, he saw more continually, and would often be very angry-like, and something troubled, nothing visibly moving him: others affirm he saw these two continually, and sometimes many more.

They generally term this second-sight in Irish Taishi-taraughk, and such as have it Taishatrin, from Taish, which is properly a shadowy substance, or such naughty, and imperceptible thing, as can only, or rather scarcely be discerned by the eye; but not caught by the hands: for which they assigned it to Bugles or Ghosts, so that Taishtar, is as much as one that converses with ghosts or spirits, or as they commonly call them, the Fairies or Fairy-Folks. Others call these men Phissicin, from Phis, which is properly fore-sight, or fore-knowledge. This is the surest and clearest account of second-sighted men that I can now find, and I have set it down fully, as if I were transiently telling it, in your own presence, being curious for nothing but the verity, so far as I could. What you find improper or superfluous you can best compendise it, &c,

Thus far this letter, written in a familiar and homely stile, which I have here set down at length. Meg Mullach, and Brownie mentioned in the end of it, are two ghosts, which (as it is constantly reported) of old, haunted a family in Straths-pey of the name of Grant. They appeared at first in the likeness of a young lass; the second of a young lad.

Dr. Moulin (who presents his service to you) hath no acquaintance in Orkney; but I have just now spoken with one, who not only hath acquaintance in that country, but also entertains some thoughts of going thither himself, to get me an account of the cures usually practised there. The Cortex Winteranus, mentioned by you as an excellent medicine, I have heard it commended as good for the scurvy; if you know it to be eminent or specific (such as the Peruvian Bark is) for any disease, I shall be well pleased to be informed by you.

Thus, Sir, you have an account of all my informations concerning second-sighted men: I have also briefly touched all the other particulars in both your letters, which needed a reply, except your thanks so liberally and obligingly returned to me for my letters, and the kind sense you express of that small service. The kind reception which you have given to those poor trifles, and the value which you put on them, I consider as effects of your kindness to myself, and as engagements on me to serve you to better purpose when it shall be in the power of

Your faithful friend,

and servant, &c.

ADDITAMENTS OF SECOND-SIGHT.

DIEMERBROECK in his book de Peste (i.e. of the Plague) gives us a story of Dimmerus de Raet, that being at Delft, where the pestilence then raged, sent then his wife thirty miles off. And when the doctor went to see the gentleman of the house, as soon as he came in, the old chair-woman that washed the cloathes fell a weeping; he asked her why? said she, my mistress is now dead; I saw her apparition but just now without a head, and that it was usual with her when a friend of hers died, to see their apparitions in that manner, though never so far off. His wife died at that time.

Mr. Thomas May in his History, lib. 8, writes, that an old man (like an hermit) second-sighted, took his leave of King James I. when he came into England: he took little notice of Prince Henry, but addressing himself to the Duke of York (since King Charles I.) fell a weeping to think what misfortunes he should undergo; and that he should be one of the miserablest unhappy Princes that ever was.

A Scotch nobleman sent for one of these second-sighted men out of the Highlands, to give his judgment of the then great favourite, George Villers, Duke of Buckingham; as soon as ever he saw him, " Pish," said he, he will come to nothing. I see a dagger in his breast;" and he was stabbed in the breast by Captain Felton.

Sir James Melvil hath several the like stories in his Memoirs. Folio.

A certain old man in South-Wales, told a great man there of the fortune of his family; and that there should not be a third male generation.