d Duffers, had informed him that, "when a
boy at the school of Forres, he and his school-fellows were once upon a
time whipping their tops in the churchyard, before the door of the
church, when, though the day was calm, they heard a noise of a wind, and
at some distance saw the small dust begin to rise and turn round, which
motion continued advancing till it came to the place where they were,
whereupon they began to bless themselves; but one of their number being,
it seems, a little more bold and confident than his companion, said,
'Horse and hattock with my top!' and immediately they all saw the top
lifted up from the ground, but could not see which way it was carried, by
reason of a cloud of dust which was raised at the same time. They sought
for the top all about the place where it was taken up, but in vain; and
it was found afterwards in the churchyard, on the other side of the
church." This legend is contained in a letter from a learned gentleman
in Scotland to Mr. Aubrey, dated 15th March 1695, published in _Aubrey's
Miscellanies_.

SECRET COMMONWEALTH.

_By_ MR. ROBERT KIRK, _Minister of Aberfoyle_, 1691.

The Siths, or Fairies, they call _Sluagh Maith_, or the Goodpeople, it
would seem, to prevent the dint of their ill attempts (for the Irish used
to bless all they fear harm of), and are said to be of a middle nature
betwixt man and angel, as were demons thought to be of old, of
intelligent studious spirits, and light changeable bodies (like those
called astral), somewhat of the nature of a condensed cloud, and best
seen in twilight. These bodies be so pliable through the subtlety of the
spirits that agitate them, that they can make them appear or disappear at
pleasure. Some have bodies or vehicles so spongeous, thin, and defecat
[pure] that they are fed by only sucking into some fine spirituous
liquors, that pierce like pure air and oil; others feed more gross on the
foyson [abundance] or substance of corn and liquors, or corn itself that
grows on the surface of the earth, which these fairies steal away, partly
invisible, partly preying on the grain, as do crows and mice; wherefore
in this same age they are sometimes heard to break bread, strike hammers,
and to do such like services within the little hillocks they most do
haunt; some whereof of old, before the Gospel dispelled Paganism, and in
some barbarous places as yet, enter houses after all are at rest, and set
the kitchens in order, cleansin