ssion of optick Spirits, so
that sight as such, does receive something from the Object, and not act
upon it, the Notion of Fascination by the Eye is unphilosophical: It is
true, that sore Eyes will affect those that look upon them, _Dum
spectant Oculi Laesos, Leduntur & ipsi_, for which a natural Reason is
easily to be assigned; but if the Witches Eyes are thus infected with a
natural Contagion, Whence is it, that only Bewitched Persons are hurt
thereby? If the vulgar Error concerning the _Basilisks_ killing with
the Look of his Poysonful Eye were a Truth, whatever person that
Serpent cast his Eye upon would be poysoned. So if Witches had a
physical Venom in their Eyes, others as well as Fascinated Persons would
be sensible thereof; there is as much Truth in this fancy of Physical
Venom in the Eye of a Witch, as there is in what _Pliny_[66] and others
relate concerning the _Thibians_, _viz._ that they have two Apples in
one Eye, and the Effigies of an Horse in the other Eye; and that they
are a people that cannot be drowned.

3. _As for that which concerns the Bewitched Persons being recovered out
of their Agonies by the Touch of the suspected Party, it is various and
fallible._

For sometimes the afflicted Person is made sick, (instead of being made
whole) by the Touch of the Accused; sometimes the Power of Imagination
is such, as that the Touch of a Person innocent and not accused shall
have the same effect. It is related in the Account of the Tryals of
Witches at _Bury_ in _Suffolk_ 1664, during the time[67] of the Tryal,
there were some Experiments made with the Persons afflicted, by bringing
the accused to touch them, and it was observed that by the least Touch
of one of the supposed Witches, they that were in their Fits, to all
mens Apprehension wholly deprived of all Sense and Understandings, would
suddenly shriek out and open their Hands.

Mr. Serjeant _Keeling_ did not think that sufficient to Convict the
Prisoners, for admitting that the Children were in truth Bewitched, yet
(saith he) it cannot be applyed to the Prisoners upon the Imagination
only of the Parties afflicted; for if that might be allowed, no Person
whatsoever can be in safety, for perhaps they might fancy another Person
who might altogether be innocent in such matters: To avoid this Scruple
it was privately desired by the Judge, that some Gentlemen there in
Court would attend one of the distempered Persons in the farther part of
the Hall, whi