and being asham'd, as well as
discourag'd, they sneak'd out of the World as well as they could; in
short the Customers fell off, and the Priests, who were the Shopkeepers,
having no Business to do, shut up their Shops, broke, and went away; the
Trade and the Tradesmen were hiss'd off the Stage together; so that the
_Devil_, who, it must be confess'd, got infinitely by the Cheat, became
bankrupt, and was oblig'd to set other Engines at work, as other Cheats
and Deceivers do, who when one Trick grows stale, and will serve no
longer, are forc'd to try another.

Nor was the _Devil_ to seek in new Measures; for tho' he could not give
out his delusive Trash as he did before, in Pomp and State, with the
Solemnity of a Temple and a Set of Enthusiasts call'd Priests, who plaid
a thousand Tricks to amuse the World, he then had Recourse to his old
_Egyptian_ Method, which indeed was more antient than that of Oracles;
and that was by Magic, Sorcery, Familiars, Witchcraft, and the like.

Of this we find the people of the _South_, that is, of _Arabia_ and
_Chaldea_ were the first, from whence we are told of the Wise Men, that
is to say, Magicians, were call'd _Chaldeans_ and _Southsayers_. Hence
also we find _Ahaziah_ the King of _Israel_ sent to _Baalzebub_ the God
of _Ekron_, to enquire whether he should live or die? This some think
was a kind of an Oracle, tho' others think it was only some over-grown
Magician, who counterfeited himself to be a _Devil_, and obtain'd upon
that Idol-hunting Age to make a Cunning Man of him; and for that Purpose
he got himself made a Priest of _Baalzebub_, the God of _Ekron_, and
gave out Answers in his Name. Thus those merry Fellows in _Egypt_,
_Jannes_ and _Jambres_, are said to mimick _Moses_ and _Aaron_, when
they work'd the miraculous Plagues upon the _Egyptians_; and we have
some Instances in Scripture that support this, such as the Witch of
_Endor_, the King _Manasses_, who dealt with the _Devil_ openly, and had
a Familiar; the Woman mentioned _Acts_ xvi. who had a Spirit of
_Divination_, and who got Money by playing the Oracle; that is,
answering doubtful Questions, _&c._ which Spirit, or _Devil_, the
Apostles cast out.

Now tho' it is true that the old Women in the World have fill'd us with
Tales, some improbable, others impossible; some weak, some ridiculous,
and that this puts a general Discredit upon all the graver Matrons, who
entertain us with Stories better put together, yet 'tis ce