of the earth. In France, Satan had his witches, imps, and other
inferior demons, who carried out his wicked purposes. At Lyons the
devil appeared in the shape of a little woman, and, by cunning
stratagem, led many persons into serious crimes. In the year 1612 the
evil one, in the appearance of a beautiful woman, allured some Paris
gentlemen into paths of sin. As a good deal of scandal was the result,
the justices and physicians of the city commenced an inquiry, which
ended in it being discovered that the apparently beautiful lady was
the evil spirit of a woman that had been hanged shortly before. Great
excitement prevailed at St. Steven's Church, Mascon, through the devil
opening graves, raising the dead, and destroying the vintage.

The Greeks and Romans affirmed that, after the dissolution of the
body, every man possessed three different kinds of ghosts or spirits,
distinguished by the names of Manes, Anima, and Umbra. The Manes, it
was supposed, descended into the infernal regions, the Anima ascended
to the skies, and Umbra hovered about the tomb, seemingly unwilling to
depart from the body.

CHAPTER XXX.

Belief in the Existence of Visible
Ghosts--Superstition among the People dwelling on the
Baltic Shores--A German Legend--Demons in the West of
Europe--Love, how plighted in Orkney--The Monster
Ymor--Origin of Fairies--The Duergar or Dwarfs--More
about Fairies--Brownies in Ireland and the Highlands
of Scotland--Nine Classes of Evil
Spirits--Vampires--Man's Double or Fetch--Churchyard
Ghosts--Souls of Suicides--Burial of Suicides and
Murderers at Cross Roads--Luther on Evil Spirits and
Witches.

A belief in the existence of visible ghosts on earth was general
before and after the middle ages. An old divine of our own country
says:--"I look upon it as a special piece of providence, that there
are, ever and anon, such fresh examples of apparitions and witchcraft
as may rub up and awaken their" [the people's] "benumbed and lethargic
minds into a suspicion at least, if not assurance, that there are
other intelligent beings besides those clothed in heavy earth or clay.
In this, I say, methinks the divine providence does plainly interest
the powers of the dark kingdom, permitting wicked men and women, and
vagrant spirits of that kingdom, to make leagues or covenants one with
another, and to make the confession of witches against their own
liv