OF
IN A LETTER TO THE
OF THE
Whereof himƒelf was Ear and Eye-witneƒs.
[I thought fit to adjoyne [it] hereunto, that I might not be thought ƒingular in this Diƒquiƒition; that the Mater of Fact might be undenyably made out; and that I might, with all Submiƒƒion, give Annotations, with Animadverƒions, on his ƒuppoƒed Cauƒes of that Phenomenon, with my Reaƒons of Diƒƒent from his judgement.]
SIR,
I HEARD very much, but beleived very little, of the Second Sight; yet its being aƒƒumed
by
by ƒeverall of great Veracity, I was induced to make Inquirie after it in the Year 1652, being then confin'd to abide in the North of Scotland by the Engliƒh Uƒurpers. The more generall Accounts of it were, that many Highlanders, yet far more Iƒlanders, were qualified with this Second Sight; that Men, Women, and Children, indiƒtinctly, were ƒubject to it, and Children, where Parents were not. Some times People came to age, who had it not when young, nor could any tell by what Means produced. It is a Trouble to moƒt of them who are ƒubject to it, and they would be rid of it any Rate if they could. The Sight is of no long Duration, only continuing ƒo long as they can keep their Eyes ƒteady without twinkling. The hardy therefore fix their look, that they may ƒee the longer; but the timorous ƒee only Glances, their Eyes always twinkles at the firƒt Sight of the Object. That which generally is ƒeen by them, are the Species of living Creatures, and of inanimate Things, which was in Motion, ƒuch as Ships, and Habits upon Perƒons. They never ƒie the
the Species of any Perƒon who is already dead. What they foirƒie fails not to exiƒt in the Mode, and in that Place where it appears to them. They cannot well know what Space of Time ƒhall interveen between the Apparition and the real Exiƒtance: But ƒome of the hardieƒt and longeƒt Experience have ƒome Rules for Conjectures; as, if they ƒie a Man with a ƒhrowding Sheet in the Apparition, they will conjecture at the Nearneƒs or Remoteneƒs of his Death by the more or leƒs of his Bodie that is covered by it. They will ordinarily ƒie their abƒent Friends, tho at a great Diƒtance, ƒome tymes no leƒs than from America to Scotland, ƒitting, ƒtanding, or walking in ƒome certain Place; and then they conclude with a Aƒƒurance that they will ƒie them ƒo and there. If a Man be in love with a Woman, they will ordinarily ƒie the Species of that Man ƒtanding by her, and ƒo likewiƒe if a Woman be in love; and they conjecture at their Enjoyments (of each other) by the Species touching (of) the Perƒon, or appearing at a Diƒtance from her (if they enjoy not one another.) If they ƒie
the
the Species of any Perƒon who is ƒick to die, they ƒie them covered over with the ƒhrowding Sheet.
THESE Generalls I had verified to me by ƒuch of them as did ƒie, and were eƒteemed honeƒt and ƒober by all the Neighbourhood; for I inquired after ƒuch for my Information. And becauƒe there were more of theƒe Seers in the Iƒles of Lewis, Harris, and Uiƒt, than in any other Place, I did entreat Sir James M'Donald (who is now dead) Sir Normand M'Loud, and Mr. Daniel Moriƒon, a verie honeƒt Perƒon, (who are ƒtill alive,) to make Inquirie in this uncouth Sight, and to acquaint me therewith; which they did, and all found ane Agriement in theƒe Generalls, and informed me of many Inƒtances confirming what they ƒaid. But though Men of Diƒcretion and Honour, being but at 2d Hand, I will chooƒe rather to put myƒelf than my Friends on the Hazard of being laughed at for incredible Relations.
I WAS once travelling in the Highlands, and a good Number of Servants with me, as is uƒuall
there
there; and one of them going a little before me, entering into a Houƒe where I was to ƒtay all Night, and going haiƒtily to the Door, he ƒuddenly ƒtept back with a Screech, and did fall by a Stone, which hit his Foot. I aƒked what the Matter was, for he ƒeemed to be very much frighted. He told me very ƒeriouƒly that I ƒhould not lodge in that Houƒe, becauƒe ƒhortly a dead Coffin would be carried out of it, for many were carrying of it when he was heard cry. I neglecting his Words, and ƒtaying there, he ƒaid to other of his Servants, he was ƒorry for it, and that ƒurely what he ƒaw would ƒhortly come to paƒs. Tho no ƒick Perƒon was then there, yet the Landlord, a healthy Highlander, died of ane appoplectick Fit before I left the Houƒe.
In the year 1653, Alexander Monro (afterward Lieut. Coll. to the Earl of Dunbarton's Regiment,) and I were walking in a Place called Ullabill, in Lochbroom, on a little Plain, at the Foot of a rugged Hill. There was a Servant working with a Spade in the Walk before us; his Back was to us, and his Face to
the
the Hill. Before we came to him, he let the Spade fall, and looked toward the Hill. He took Notice of us as wee paƒƒed neer by him, which made me look at him; and perceiving him to ƒtair a little ƒtrangely, I conjectured him to be a Seer. I called at him, at which he ƒtarted and ƒmiled. What are you doing? ƒaid I. He anƒwered, I have ƒeen a very ƒtrange Thing; ane Army of Engliƒhmen, leeding of Horƒes, coming doun that Hill; and a Number of them are come down to the Plain, and eating the Barley, which is growing in the Field neer to the Hill. This was on the 4th May, (for I notted the Day,) and it was four or fyve Days before the Barley was ƒown in the Field he ƒpoke of. Alexander Monro aƒked him how he knew they were Engliƒhmen? He ƒaid, becauƒe they were leeding of Horƒes, and had on Hats and Bootts, which he knew no Scot Man would have there. We took little Notice of the whole Storie, as other than a fooliƒh Viƒion; but wiƒhed that ane Engliƒh Partie were there, we being then at Warr with them, and the Place almoƒt unacceƒlable for Horƒe-
men
men. But in the Beginning of Auguƒt therafter, the Earle of Midleton (then Lieut. for the King in the Highlands) having occaƒion to march a Party of his toward the South Highlands, he ƒent his Foot thorow a Place called Inverlawell; and the Fore-partie which was firƒt down the Hill, did fall off eating the Barley which was on the litle Plain under it. And Monro calling to mynd what the Seer told us, in May preceiding, he wrote of it, and ƒent ane Expreƒs to me to Lochƒlin, in Roƒs, (where I then was) with it.
I HAD Occaƒion once to be in Companie where a Young Lady was, (excuƒe my not naming of Perƒons,) and I was told there was a notable Seer in the Companie. I called him to ƒpeak with me, as I did ordinarly when I found any of them; and after he had anƒwered me to ƒeveral Queƒtions, I aƒked if he knew any Perƒon to be in love with that Lady. He ƒaid he did, but he knew not the Perƒon; for during the two Dayes he had been in her Company, he perceaved one ƒtanding neer her, and his Head leaning on her Shoulder; which he ƒaid
did
did fore-tell that the Man ƒhould marrie her, and die before her, according to his Obƒervation. This was in the Year 1655. I deƒired him to deƒcribe the Perƒon, which he did; ƒo that I could conjecture, by the Deƒcription, of ƒuch a one, who was of that Ladyes Acquaintance, tho there were no thought of their Marriage till two Years thereafter. And having Occaƒion, in the Year 1657, to find this Seer, who was ane Iƒlander, in Company with the other Perƒon whom I conjectured to have been deƒcribed by him, I called him aƒide, and aƒked if that was the Perƒon he ƒaw beƒide the Lady near two Years then paƒt. He ƒaid it was he indeed, for he had ƒeen that Lady juƒt then ƒtanding by him Hand in Hand. This was ƒome few Months before their Marriage, and that Man is ƒince dead, and the Lady ƒtill alive.
I SHALL trouble you but with one more, which I thought moƒt remarkable of any that occurred to me. In January 1652, the above mentioned Lieut. Coll. Alex. Monro and I happened to be in the Houƒe of one Wm. M'Cleud of Ferrinlea, in the County of Roƒs.
He
[paragraph continues] He, the Landlord, and I were ƒitting in three Chairs neir the Fire, and in the Corner of the great Chimney there were two Iƒlanders, who were that verie Night come to the Hous, and were related to the Landlord. While the one of them was talking with Monro, I perceaved the other to look oddly toward me. From this Look, and his being ane Iƒlander, I conjectured him a Seer, and aƒked him, at what he ƒtair'd? He anƒwered, by deƒiring me to riƒe from that Chair, for it was ane unluckie one. I aƒked him why. He anƒwered, becauƒe there was a dead Man in the Chair nixt to me. Well, ƒaid I, if it be in the nixt Chair, I may keep mine own. But what is the Likneƒs of the Man? He ƒaid he was a tall Man, with a long Grey Coat, booted, and one of his Legs hanging over the Arme of the Chair, and his head hanging dead to the other Side, and his Arme backward, as if it were brocken. There were ƒome Engliƒh Troops then quartered near that Place, and there being at that Time a great Froƒt after a Thaw, the Country was covered all over with Yce. Four or Fyve of the Engliƒh ryding by
this
this Houƒe ƒome two Hours after the Viƒion, while we were ƒitting by the Fire, we heard a great Noiƒe, which prov'd to be thoƒe Troopers, with the Help of other Servants, carrying in one of their Number, who had got a very miƒcheivous Fall, and had his Arme broke; and falling frequently in ƒwooning Fits, they brought him into the Hall, and ƒet him in the verie Chair, and in the verie Poƒture that the Seer had propheƒied. But the Man did not die, though he recovered with great Difficulty.
AMONG the Accounts given me by Sir Normand M'clud, there was one worth of ƒpecial Notice, which was thus. There [was] a Gentleman in the Iƒle of Harris, who was always ƒeen by the Seers with ane Arrow in his Thigh. Such in the Iƒle who thought thoƒe prognoƒtications infalliable, did not doubt but he would be ƒhot in the Thigh before he died. Sir Normand told me that he heard it the Subject of their Diƒcourƒe for many Years. At laƒt he died without any ƒuch Accident. Sir Normand was at his Buriall, at St Clement's Church in the Harris. At the ƒame Time, the Corps of another
another Gentleman was brought to be buried in the ƒame verie Church. The Friends on either Side came to debate who ƒhould firƒt enter the Church, and in a Trice from Words they came to Blows. One of the Number (who was arm'd with Bow and Arrows) let one fly among them. (Now everie Familie in that Iƒle have their Buriall-place in the Church in Stone Cheƒts, and the Bodies are carried in open Biers to the Buriall-place.) Sir Normand having appeaƒed the Tumult, one of the Arrows was found ƒhot in the dead Man's Thigh. To this Sir Normand was a Witneƒs.
IN the Account which Mr Daniel Moriƒon, Parƒon in the Lewis, gave me, there was one, tho it be hetergeneous from the ƒubject, yet it may [be] worth your Notice. It was of a young Woman in his Pariƒh, who was mightily frightned by ƒeeing her own Image ƒtill before her, alwayes when ƒhe came to the open Air; the Back of the Image being alwayes to her, ƒo that it was not a reflection as in a Mirrour, but the Species of ƒuch a Body as her own, and in a very like Habit, which appeared to herƒelf
continually
continually before her. The Parƒon keept her a long whyle with him, but had no Remedy of her Evill, which troubled her exceidingly. I was told afterwards, that when ƒhe was four or fyve Years elder ƒhe ƒaw it not.
THESE are Matters of Fact, which I aƒƒure yow they are truely related. But theƒe, and all others that occurred to me, by Information or otherwiƒe, could never lead me into a remote Conjecture of the Cauƒe of ƒo extraordinary a Phænomenon. Whither it be a Quality in the Eyes of ƒome People into theƒe Pairts, concurring with a Quality in the Air alƒo; whither ƒuch Species be every where, tho not ƒeen by the Want of Eyes ƒo qualified, or from whatever other Cauƒe, I muƒt leave to the Inquiry of clearer judgements than mine. But a Hint may be taken from this image which appeared ƒtill to this Woman abovementioned, and from another mentioned by Ariƒtotle, in the 4th of his Metaphyƒicks (if I remember right, for it is long ƒince I read it;) as alƒo from the common Opinion that young Infants (unƒullied with many Objects) do ƒie Appearitions, which were
not
not ƒeen by thoƒe of elder Years; as like wife from this, that ƒeveralls did ƒie the Second Sight when in the Highlands or Iƒles, yet when tranƒported to live in other Countreys, eƒpecially in America, they quite loƒe this Qualitie, as was told me by a Gentleman who knew ƒome of them in Barbadoes, who did ƒee no Viƒion there, altho he knew them to be Seers when they lived in the Iƒles of Scotland.
Thus far my Lord Tarbett.
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