The Sun.
London, England, 1834-06-16 00:00:00

WITCHCRAFT IN 1834.

That in the present enlightened state of society
there can be prevalent any notions of the actual
existence of witches, and of their power to inflict
injuries on their fellow-creatures from a supposed
demoniacal alliance, is really surprising, but sur-
prising as it may be it is a fact. We trust that the
following statement will excite those who are in-
trusted with the moral education of the poor, to
exert themselves to instil more correct and more
Christian principles amongst people so infatuated.
At Briston, in this county, there are at this mo-
ment two persons generally believed to be " under
bad hands," that is, bewitched. One is a young
man named Paul, and the other a girl named Dag-
less. Another young woman in the village named
Bacon, with whom Paul was formerly acquainted,
is supposed to have been the cause of the evil, by
employing some competent professional witch to
afflict them. Since Paul has discontinued his visits
to the suspected damsel he has been " grievously
tormented" with such violent fits as were scarcely
ever before witnessed ; and having subsequently
formed an intimacy with Dagless, she also has
fallen a victim to the like visitation. A short time
since one of these fits lasted her 24 hours, during
which time she uttered the most piercing shrieks,
and was in a state of utter madness. Paul hap-
pening to be on the spot, was also attacked. His
strength seemed more than mortal. It took six or
seven of the strongest men to hold him, with the
greatest difficulty, and they did not escape without
injury from biting, scratching,
kicking, &c. It is
affirmed by the spectators as a circumstance
strengthening the belief of supernatural agency in
the case of these persons, that when they were
both lying under the influence of the fits, though
at several yards distance, their motions were pre-
cisely the same ; when one moved the little finger
so did the other ; when one moved the head or
shoulders so did the other in the same direction ;
when one frothed at the mouth so did the other ;
and so dreadful and distressing were the cries
which the poor wretches uttered, that the specta-
tors said if they were related to them they would
much rather see them knocked on the head than
in such a miserable plight. It is certainly a fact
that these poor creatures cannot be left alone from
their liability at any moment to be attacked with the
most distressing fits. Medical men have declared
that they are unacquainted with the nature of their
attacks, and application has been made by their
friends to a " sorcerer" in Norwich, who promises
to make sad havock with the tormentor, and eventu-
ally to restore the " demoniacs" to their " right
mind," and these poor infatuated people are led to
believe that one devil will cast out another if he is
but paid for it. The suspected girl, too, is, we un-
derstand, threatened as the next victim of infernal
agency. We trust that proper exertions will be

made to remove these erroneous and injurious im-
pressions ; but we regret to add, so deep rooted is
the conviction that the parties are bewitched, that
a person by denying it would incur the charge
amongst the poor deluded people of being an
Atheist. We ought to add that the parties are
Ranters, and that in this village, with a population
of only 1,037, there is an Episcopal Church, a
Methodist Chapel, an Independent Meeting House
(the two latter have existed for almost a century),
and a Ranter's Chapel, and that there are regularly
six sermons preached in the village on the Sunday.
—Bury Post.
The simple solution of the mystery is, that the
persons are afflicted with epileptic fits, which, like
hysterical affections, are communicable amongst
persons of nervous temperament. When Mrs.
Billington sung at St. Peter's Church, in Norwich,
a young gentleman fell down in an epileptic fit di-
rectly in her view. She was instantly seized with
strong hysterics, and we have seen many similar in-
stances.

SINGULAR FACT.—About three years since
a young man, the son of Mr. Richardson, grocer,
Beverley-road, had given to him a very small land tor-
toise, which had been brought to this country in one
of the trading vessels from Portugal. It appeared to
be in a very inanimate state, and slept the greater part
of its time away in a recess under the shop counter.
About twelve months ago, for the purpose of trying to
revive it, the animal was taken to a small drain at
Stepney, and put into the water. To the vexation of
its owner, it immediately sank or dived to the bottom,
and every effort to recover it, by means of a rake used
as a drag, was of no avail, and it was deemed to be
lost irrecoverably. On Sunday last, however, as its
quondam master was walking out, curiosity or some
other feeling induced him to visit the spot, and while
looking on the water, to his astonishment, up came
the tortoise, nearly at the very place where it had sunk
a year before ! The creature was secured without diffi-
culty, and taken home. It is considerably larger than
when lost, much improved in strength, and is even
lively. It is not a little curious that this inhabitant of
a warm climate should have passed one of our northern
winters in such a situation, with apparent benefit, to
say nothing of the singularity of its loss and recovery
on the same spot, at so long an interval of time.—
Hull Packet.

SLANG
when
OF ARTISTS.--The Ra sT I s
references
t ohe
their
profession,conversation ofis
.r
artists,
usually patched up with phrases peculiar to them-
selves, and which may not be improperly called slang
of art. This jargon, when heard by persons unac-
quainted with its application, is apt to lead to awkward
mistakes. A laughable instance of this kind occurred
lately. A party of artists were travelling in a stage
coach, in which, besides themselves, a sedate vene-
rable lady was the only passenger. The conversation
among the artists ran on as follows :—" How playful
those clouds are ! That group to the left is sweetly
composed, though perhaps a. little too solid and rocky
for the others. I have seen nothing of —'s lately.
I think he is clever. He makes all his flesh too
chalky. You must allow, however, that he is very
successful with his ladies." The old lady began to
exhibit symptoms of uneasiness, and at the close of
each observation, cast an anxious and inquiring look
at the speaker. Her companions, however, uncon-
scious of the surprise they were exciting (for she en-
tertained doubts as to their sanity) went on in the
same style. She heard them, to her increasing dis-
may, talk of a farm-house coming out from the neigh-
bouring trees, and of a gentleman's grounds wanting
repose. At length they approached an old village
church. A great many observations were made about
the keeping, &c., of the scene, which the old woman
bore with tolerable magnanimity, but at last one of
the party exclaimed, in a kind of enthusiasm, " See
how well the woman in the red cloak carries off the
tower." The lady screamed to the coachman to stop,
paid him his fare, although advanced only half way
on her journey, and expressed her thankfulness for
having escaped alive from such a set of madmen.--
Sherborne Journal.

Hussein, ex-Dey of Algiers, is about to un-
dertake a pilgrimage to Mecca. He is very religious,
and by acts of devotion endeavours to reconcile him-
self to his loss of power. He takes his departure
from Alexandria for the tomb of the Prophet. This
town of Egypt has become his usual residence, he
having fixed his abode there when he left Leghorn,
which he did not find agreeable, as much from its not
affording him sufficient accommodation for his nume-
rous family and suite, as from its enabling speculators
to make use of his name in acting upon the Regency
of Algiers against the interests of France. Fearing
that he might be troubled from being supposed to take
part in enterprises which were inimical to France, and
not being sufficiently rich to live at Leghorn, Hussein
applied to the Viceroy of Egypt to grant him an asylum.
Mehemet Ali received him with great distinction,
granted him a palace sufficient to lodge the whole of
his family, and daily sends him the moussa or supply
of provisions necessary for the whole establishment.
Hussein is attended on his pilgrimage by one of his
sons-in-law and some of his domestics. Although he
is already advanced in years, and the fatigues of the
journey are very great, his hoalth is sufficiently strong
to warrant an expectation that he will be able to ac-
complish his task and return.— Galignani's Messenger.

AN ENGLISH TOAD-EATER.—" In this
hot-bed of sycophancy for the first time starts into life
the English toadeater, an animal 'peculiar to the
British islands. He is worth a moment's attention.
He is indeed a singular little creature—a strange
compound of jarring antipathies. He is essentially
selfish, yet practises great self-denial. He is haughty
and overbearing to his inferiors, yet cringing and sub-
missive to the great. He is dull, tiresome, and unin-
teresting in the society of commoners ; but he be-
comes witty, sprightly, and entertaining in the com-
pany of peers. He is habitually late in an engagement
with an untitled friend; but he is punctuality itself at
the table of a lord. He is a religious animal, and im-
plicitly follows the exhortation of the Apostle, in
forgetting those things-which are behind, and reaching
forth to those which are before.' He cannot afford to have
odd friends,' and cuts all his old schoolfellows as
soon as he has made more glittering acquaintances.
He looks down with contempt on the untitled crowd
when he has paid successful court to the youthful
peer; and the coronet of the baron loses its lustre in
his eyes when he can write himself the sworn friend
and companion of an earl. Strange to say, he is often
a person of large fortune, not unfrequently of good
family ; but all these advantages he regards only as
aggravations of misfortune, so long as he is excluded
from the coteries of the great. He begins his career
at Oxford, and goes through life unchanged—in the
capital he is the jackall of fashionable life, the pur-
veyor of scandal for the boudoir and the drawing-
room. But peace be with him, and may your country
soon be delivered from this noxious little animal and
his whole race-"—Letter from Oxford.
COMMISSION OF LUNACY.-011 Thursday
afternoon a commission of lunacy was held at the Red
Lion, Kilburn, before Commissioners PHILLIMORE,
BLUNT, and MURRAY, to inquire into the state of mind
of Miss Jane Eliza Crawford, a lady 53 years of age,
residing at Abbey-place, St. John's Wood. Sir
James Williams was the foreman of the jury. Margaret
Brown had known Miss Crawford between 20 and
30 years, and they were upon the most intimate terms.
In November, 1830, witness observed a complete
change in Miss Crawford's manner. Before, they had
been the best friends, but at that time she said witness
had completely changed towards her, and did not be-
have with her former affection. At the end of February
she entertained the fancy that every colour spoke its
own language, and she requested witness not to allow
her to go into a shop alone, as the colours spoke
languages and confused her. Lately she refused to
wear colaared dresses, as they spoke to her, and she
particularly mentioned the colours of pink and green
as those which spoke the most. She said she was en-
titled to the crown of England, to estates of her father
in Scotland, and, as a widow, to property in England.
In September she went to the residence of her
nephew,ee Sir W. Scott, but returned in October. In
she took a dislike to witness. She plays
music delightfully. In conclusion, the witness stated
h
' she was attacked with a brain fever ; from
hthat Miss Crawford had been of unsound
mind since November, 1830. Dr. Sutherland also
tivarnstdbieperiodsiildn
July,
eef
ci . 1832gl
gave similar testimony as to the unsound state of Miss
Crawford's mind. It having been stated that Miss
Crawford was in that condition that would render her
removal dangerous, the jury in consequence proceeded
to the place of her residence. On their return, the
foreman described the painful condition in which they
found the unfortunate lady on their visit; and the
jury returned a verdict, that Miss Crawford was a
lunatic on November 20, 1830, and has continued so,
without intervals of reason, to the present period.