le old Woman_, of what heterogeneous Kind they are produced,
give you the monstrous Anatomy of the Parts, and especially those of the
Head, which being fill'd with innumerable Globules of a sublime Nature,
and which being of a fine Contexture without, but particularly hollow in
the Cavity, defines most philosophically that antient paradoxical
Saying, (_viz._) _being full of Emptiness_, and makes it very consistent
with Nature and common Sense.

I shall likewise spend some Time, _and it must be Labour too, I assure
you, when 'tis done_, in determining whether this new Species of
Wonderfuls are not deriv'd from that famous _old Woman Merlin_, which I
prove to be very reasonable for us to suppose, because of the many
several judicious Authors, who affirm the said _Merlin_, as I hinted
before, to have been begotten by the _Devil_.

As to the deriving his Gift of Prophesy from the Devil, by that
pretended Generation, I shall omit that Part, because, as I have all
along insisted upon it, that Satan himself has no prophetic or
predicting Powers of his own, it is not very clear to me that he could
convey it to his Posterity, _nil dat quod not habet_.

However, in deriving this so much magnified Prophet in a right Line from
the _Devil_, much may be said in favour of his ugly Face, in which it
was said he was very remarkable, for it is no new Thing for a Child to
be like the Father; but all these weighty Things I adjourn for the
present, and proceed to the Affair in Hand, namely, the several Branches
of the _Devil_'s Management since his quitting his Temples and Oracles.

CHAP. VI.

_Of the extraordinary Appearance of the_ Devil, _and particularly of the
Cloven-Foot._

Some People would fain have us treat this Tale of the _Devil_'s
appearing with a Cloven-Foot with more Solemnity than I believe the
_Devil_ himself does; for Satan, who knows how much of a Cheat it is,
must certainly ridicule it, in his own Thoughts, to the last Degree; but
as he is glad of any Way to hoodwink the Understandings, and bubble the
weak Part of the World; so if he sees Men willing to take every
Scarecrow for a Devil, it is not his Business to undeceive them; on the
other Hand, he finds it his Interest to foster the Cheat, and serve
himself of the Consequence: Nor could I doubt but the Devil, if any
Mirth be allow'd him, often laughs at the many frightful Shapes and
Figures we dress him up in, and especially to see how willing we are