Under these unhappy Circumstances I labour'd till the Month of October, in the Year —24, confin'd by my Distemper to my own Habitation, not daring to go abroad for fear of falling in the Streets, having been before surpriz'd by my Fits in St. James's Park and several other Places; but, about this Time, being possess'd with a strong Inclination to the Cold-Bath, near Sir John Oldcastle's, and the great desire I had to experience the same, being highly encourag'd by your Advice and Approbation, I summon'd all the Strength I had to my Assistance, and pursuant to the Dictates of my own restless Mind, had recourse thither accordingly, attended by a proper Person to take due Care of me, for fear of the worst.
I had not repeated this cold Expedient above twice or thrice, but I was sensible of the Benefits I receiv'd thereby, for my Distemper began to treat me with less severity than usual, and my Fits were succeeded with a greater Defluction of Tears than what was common, before I apply'd my self to the Bath, so that, after my Weeping was over, I found my self much refresh'd and all my Faculties abundantly more alert, than at any Time they had been since my first Illness, insomuch, that, from a timely continuance of this external Application, I entertain'd great hopes of a perfect Recovery; but, notwithstanding my diligent Prosecution of this sharp and shivering Method, I was, to my great Sorrow, unhappily disappointed; for my Convulsions were as frequent, tho' not so violent as formerly, and I was now again divested of all hopes of Relief, except by the Hand of Providence, having nothing to trust to, but that infallible Physician who can Cure all things in an Instant.
The Despondency I was now under of any Assistance from humane Art, and the slender Opinion you seem'd to entertain of my Recovery, made my Intervals as Melancholy as my Fits were troublesome; oppress'd with these hard Circumstances, I supported a burthensome Life, and drag'd on the tedious Hours till the latter end of the Year —25, about which Time, as I was slumbering one Morning in my Bed, after a restless Night, my good Genius or Guardian Angel, Cloth'd in a white Surplice like a singing Boy, appear'd before me, holding a Scrowle or Label in his right Hand, whereon the following Words were wrote in large Capitals.
READ, BELIEVE AND PRACTISE, THE LOADSTONE SHALL BE YOUR CURE, WITH AN ADDITION OF THE POWDER HERE PRESCRIB'D YOU; BUT KEEP THE LAST AS A SECRET; FOR WITH THAT AND THE MAGNET YOU SHALL RELIEVE NUMBERS IN DISTRESS, AND LIVE TO DO GREATER WONDERS THAN YOU HAVE HITHERTO PERFORM'D; THEREFORE BE OF GOOD CHEAR, FOR YOU HAVE A FRIEND UNKNOWN, WHO, IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE, WILL NEVER FAIL YOU.
This comfortable News, tho' deliver'd to me after so surprizing a manner, yet, was it very welcome to a languishing Person under a complication of Misfortunes, notwithstanding I had a great struggle with my natural Reason, before I could convince my self of what I was yet confident my very Eyes had seen, or at least had been represented to me after an extraordinary manner, for betwixt really seeing what we call a Vision or verily believing we do see it, there is but a slender difference; however, the intire Confidence I had put in Providence, and the great desire I had to be reliev'd, were to me convincing Arguments, beyond all Objection, that my Guardian Angel had actually appear'd and communicated to my Eyes the very Scrowle that I had read, the Words of which, lest my Memory should have prov'd treacherous, I enter'd in my Pocket-Book as they are before recited, the Recipe only excepted.
Having thus subjected my Reason to my Senses, or at least my Faith, for I either saw or believ'd I saw what I have here reported, I had nothing else to do, but to put in Practice the Receipt which my good Genius had imparted to me, tho' how to come at a Loadstone, seem'd to me as difficult as to find out the Philosopher's Stone, having but a slender Knowledge of the thing it self, and much less of its Virtues; however, upon enquiry, I soon found out a certain Virtuoso, near Moorfields, who is an eminent dealer in such sort of Curiosities, and by his Assistance I presently furnish'd my self with what I wanted, and sending for some fat Amber and a certain preparation of Steel, which I privately dispens'd in a very particular manner, according to the Recipe communicated by my Genius; then applying both as directed, was miraculously deliver'd, in a great measure, from those wracking Convulsions which had so long afflicted me, and in less than a Month's Time my whole Microcosm was restor'd to such a happy State of Health, Strength and Vivacity, that Heaven be prais'd, I could do any thing as usual, but, if I leave off my Loadstone for two or three Days, which I have sometimes done, meerly out of Curiosity, my Fits, as yet, will remind me of my foolish Presumption, and force me to have recourse to my wonderful Preservative, which has not only prov'd so great a friend to my self, but has reliev'd others in the like distress; and as I have found by three or four late Experiments, is as effectual in suppresing Vapours and removing or preventing Hysterick Fits in Women, as it is in Epilepsies and Convulsions in our own Sex, either Men or Children.
Now, Doctor, since I have happily conquer'd so stubborn an Enemy, by such miraculous means, as do not fail to afflict others as well as my self, I desire you will vouchsafe me your real Sentiments of this uncommon way of Cure, your Notions of the Genii, and the wonderful manner of communicating the Recipe, your Thoughts of the Loadstone and the Virtues thereof, your Opinion of Sympathy and the Cures perform'd thereby, for I know you are Philosopher sufficient, as well as Physician, to give a very good light into all these Mysteries, in which I own I am to seek; therefore hope you will condescend so far as to spend a leisure Hour upon the foregoing Particulars, and you will infinitely oblige,
Sir,
Your assured Friend,
and humble Servant,
Duncan Campbel.