or discover, by taking earth or wood from
them, superstitiously believing the souls of their predecessors to dwell
there. And for that end (say they) a mole or mound was dedicate beside
every churchyard to receive the souls till their adjacent bodies arise,
and so became as a fairy-hill; they using bodies of air when called
abroad. They also affirm those creatures that move invisibly in a house,
and cast huge great stones, but do no much hurt, because counter-wrought
by some more courteous and charitable spirits that are everywhere ready
to defend men (Dan. x. 13), to be souls that have not attained their
rest, through a vehement desire of revealing a murder or notable injury
done or received, or a treasure that was forgot in their lifetime on
earth, which, when disclosed to a conjuror alone, the ghost quite
removes.

In the next country to that of my former residence, about the year 1676,
when there was some scarcity of grain, a marvellous illapse and vision
strongly struck the imagination of two women in one night, living at a
good distance from one another, about a treasure hid in a hill called
_Sith-bruthach_, or fairy-hill. The appearance of a treasure was first
represented to the fancy, and then an audible voice named the place where
it was to their awaking senses. Whereupon both rose, and meeting
accidentally at the place, discovered their design; and jointly digging,
found a vessel as large as a Scottish peck full of small pieces of good
money, of ancient coin; and halving betwixt them, they sold in dishfuls
for dishfuls of meal to the country people. Very many of undoubted
credit saw and had of the coin to this day. But whether it was a good or
bad angel, one of the subterranean people, or the restless soul of him
who hid it, that discovered it, and to what end it was done, I leave to
the examination of others.

These subterraneans have controversies, doubts, disputes, feuds, and
siding of parties; there being some ignorance in all creatures, and the
vastest created intelligences not compassing all things. As to vice and
sin, whatever their own laws be, sure according to ours, and equity,
natural, civil, and revealed, they transgress and commit acts of
injustice and sin by what is above said, as to their stealing of nurses
to their children, and that other sort of plaginism in catching our
children away (may seem to heir some estate in those invisible dominions)
which never return. For swearing and in