ot have a
Cloven-Foot! I doubt not but I could, in a short Time, bring you a
thousand old Women together, that would as soon believe there was no
Devil at all; nay, they will tell you, he could not be a Devil without
it, any more than he could come into the Room, and the Candles not burn
blue, or go out and not leave a smell of Brimstone behind him.

Since then the Certainty of the Thing is so well establish'd, and there
are so many good and substantial Witnesses ready to testify that he has
a Cloven-Foot, and that they have seen it too; nay, and that we have
Antiquity on our Side, for we have this Truth confirm'd by the Testimony
of many Ages; why should we doubt it any longer? we can prove that many
of our Ancestors have been of this Opinion, and divers learn'd Authors
have left it upon Record, as particularly that learned Familiarist
Mother _Hazel_, whose Writings are to be found in MS. in the famous
Library at _Pye-Corner_; also the admir'd _Joan_ of _Amesbury_, the
History of the _Lancashire_ Witches, and the Reverend Exorcist of the
_Devil_'s of _London_, whose History is extant among us to this Day; all
these and many more may be quoted, and their Writings referr'd to for
the Confirmation of the Antiquity of this Truth; but there seems to be
no Occasion for farther Evidence, 'tis enough, _Satan_ himself, if he
did not raise the Report, yet tacitly owns the Fact, at least he appears
willing to have it believ'd, and be receiv'd as a general Truth for the
Reasons above.

But besides all this, and as much a Jest as some unbelieving People
would have this Story pass for, who knows but that if _Satan_ is
empower'd to assume any Shape or Body, and to appear to us visibly, as
if really so shap'd; I say, who knows but he may, by the same Authority,
be allow'd to assume the Addition of the Cloven-Foot, or two or four
Cloven-Feet, if he pleased? and why not a _Cloven-Foot_ as well as any
other Foot, if he thinks fit? For if the _Devil_ can assume a Shape, and
can appear to Mankind in a visible Form, it may, I doubt not, with as
good Authority be advanc'd that he is left at Liberty to assume what
Shape he pleases, and to choose _what Case of Flesh and Blood he'll
please to wear_, whether real or imaginary; and if this Liberty be
allow'd him, it is an admirable Disguise for him to come generally with
his _Cloven-Foot_, that when he finds it for his Purpose, on special
Occasions to come without it, as I said above, he may not