that, if a man died in the house, an aperture must be made in the wall to allow the soul to escape that a person engaged must not give his affianced bride a book, as her love would infallibly vanish as readily as the leaves thereof could be scattered to the wind, &c., &c. All these Dr. Bräuner justly characterises as worthless superstitions, and laments the deep hold that they had upon his countrymen of that day, exclaiming, "Wers gläubt was er gelögen Der wird mit recht betrögen." "Whoever believes his lies Will deserve to be deceived." He then proceeds to say, "In this manner does the cunning and crafty Devil introduce amongst the people his damnable jugglery and impious merchandise, to entangle them more and more in superstition, for he well knows that this world is very curious and inquisitive, troubling itself about everything, and desiring to understand the most secret and rarest things in creation; and through such curiosity do men often to their own exceeding loss and damage buy from Satan his deceitful and poisonous wares. We will, in the following work, furnish examples of the work of the Devil as performed by means of the damnable peering into the look ing-glass of female soothsayers, who are, as it were, the Devil's apes and monkeys, whereby he accomplishes the deceiving of the people. Also, of the many curious arts with which unmarried love-sick women carry on their jugglery in holy Christmas time, in order to learn what their future husbands will be like; as well as the devilish work which is carried on with thieves' thumbs, gallows dwarfs, familiar spirits, charmed lives, &c., by the instrumentality of soothsayers and oracles, casting nativities, using charms and divinations, choosing particular days, and other like things, which all foolish people, though called Christians, look on as harmless, not considering how they are thereby entangled in the snares of the Devil, and are shamefully led away from the light, so that the proverb holds good of them 'Habeat sibi,' 'Wers gläubt was er gelögen, Der wird mit recht betrögen.' "And amongst these arts we must include that abominable deceit of Satan, whereby he artfully prevails upon and constrains these poor people to enter into actual covenant with him; in consequence of which he, through divers tricks of leger-de-main, permits them to procure and enjoy much fancied wealth, days spent in volup : tuousness and sloth; and a thousand other unholy things for instance, he discovers to them hidden treasures; transports them through the air in various fashions to their assemblies, dances, and banquets, conveying them in some wonderful manner with incredible rapidity and in a marvellous short time from one place to another. Further, he is accustomed by his subtle deceptions to transform them during sleep into various shapes, such as were-wolves, cats, and the like; carrying on with them supposed intrigues and uncleanness, and has in them, as children of unbelief, his work and operations, whereby they are more and more turned away from God and His holy word, being entangled faster and faster in his chains, and finally, unless they are in this life delivered from the same in the day of grace, by true repentance and faith in Christ, they certainly go to hell, where he makes and retains them as his slaves for ever. "And with what unheard-of and frightful cruelty and wickedness he rages and storms in those poor and much-to-be-pitied men, whom the holy God, for righteous purposes, delivers over to him for bodily possession. The most astonishing and fearful examples thereof are to be met with and read as well in Scripture as in profane history. Neither does Satan now cease from all this his cruelty and wickedness, but rather pursues it more perseveringly to this present day; and that, either immediately by him, as when he, to the great affliction and sorrow of many parents, in an abominable and wicked manner, steals away their lawfully begotten young and tender children, if they have not earnestly commended them to the powerful protection of the Almighty, placing in their stead suppositious deformed monsters, kielkroppfen, or changelings, which, by their frightful cries, greediness, ill-bred, and filthy behaviour, occasion great annoyance, trouble, and inconvenience. This unearthly, devilish mintage, however, Satan is often compelled, sometimes by ludicrous means, but generally and especially by fervent prayer to God, to remove and to bring back again the true, lawful, and natural children. "Further, Satan works great cruelty and wickedness through his trusty and well-beloved subjects, as witches, sorceresses, and sorcerers, through whom he operates, and incessantly urges them to many wicked enchantments, mingling of poisons, and other vile devilish arts, against every one, and in every place where they can occasion loss, destruction, sorrow, misfortune, grief, and distraction in men, and loss in cattle, houses, farms, and the fruits and increase of the earth. And this godless Devil's gang are not the least afraid to inflict, by their cursed sorcery, loss and injury on their neighbours and acquaintances, which is done either by laming them, inducing impotence, bewitching the affections, inflicting various diseases, and other similar deeds of witchcraft; in all which, when they can be effected, or have already been brought to pass, Satan, as a cruel and wicked lover of mischief, delights and rejoices, in order that mankind may be punished by his wickedness and cruelty. A wanderer, who has to travel through a tremendous and insecure forest, does not sleep, but is continually on his guard lest a thief, or a furious wild beast, may spring out to destroy him. Consequently, he keeps his weapons ready to oppose anything that may assault him; and of him the proverb holds good: 'Orat et vigilat.' 'Dieweil er in gefahr, So nimmt er seiner wahr,' He remains upon his guard.'” Now, in the present work, the honored reader will find a goodly assortment of materials, ideas, facts, surprising things, remarkable instances, and wonderful histories, physical and historical curiosities discussed, or devilish superstitions, so |