Mart.
Saturday, May 7. 1720.
I have more than once declar'd, that, as I set up for a publick Spirit, and am for countenancing every Thing which may give either Profit or Delight to my Countrymen, no Essay, tending to the Improvement of any Art or Science, shall want my Approbation or Encouragement. This may seem a very inconsiderable Assistance from a Person, whose Fortune, and Figure in Life, have not made him Great enough to be a profitable Patron to the Ingenious: But I have found, in many Instances, that the Approbation of a grave Man, and such I am esteemed, has some Weight with the Many; since, it is observ'd, that, in Works of Learning, not Half of Mankind judge for themselves, and of Those who do, we may presume to say, that at least Half judge amiss.
It is a trite Observation, but not unserviceable in Life, that a Man had as good be out of the World, as out of the Fashion. This lays me under an Obligation and Necessity of looking out for every Thing new, that starts into the Publick. The Papers, which are mighty Helps to Intelligence of this Kind, have been big with advertising the History of the Life and Adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell: And finding, by the Information of these Diurnal Oracles, that his Majesty has received it very graciously, I was induced to subscribe for this remarkable Treatise. I must confess, I think it a Work of immense Erudition, full of curious Disquisitions into speculative Philosophy, comprehending a large Fund of Philological Learning, and furnished with some Remarks, that have escaped the Pens of former Authors, who have writ in any Faculty whatsoever.
Man's Life is so short, it has been the settled Opinion of the Wise, that this Prosecution of any single Subject would be sufficient to take up all his Time. For this Reason, and especially in the Summer Season, when I make shift to retire from this Metropolis of Noise and Business, I contract my Speculations and Studies under one Head. To this End my great Care is, to collect a small Parcel of useful Books, that may all contribute to one and the same Purpose. As my Pleasure lies chiefly in searching after Truth, and Authors, whose Aim is to inform the Mind, or reform the Morals, I have determined carefully to peruse once more these Memoirs, relating to the celebrated Mr. Campbell. They are penn'd with a particular Air of Sincerity, and such a strict Regard to Truth and Matter of Fact, that they seem a Copy, in this Point, from Lucian's true History. I have therefore, to satisfy my Readers of the Judgment which I make of Books, concluded to accompany my Reflections over this Author, with reading, at proper Intervals, the Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, the Travels of Aaron Hill Esq., into Turkey, the History of the Empires in the Sun and Moon Worlds, Psalmonaazar's History of the Island of Formosa, and, that great Promoter of Christien Piety, the Tale of a Tub.
As I have taken upon me to animadvert upon this Treatise, containing the Adventures and profound Skill of Mr. Campbell, I shall continue to do it with the Impartiality of a true Critick. I have allowed the Author's Excellencies, and am therefore at Liberty to observe upon his Errors. He tells us, that Lapland receives its Name from the Finland Word Lapp, that is Exiles, and from the Swedish Word Lap, signifying Banished. I am very loath my Countrymen should be deceived in such Matters of Language: And therefore I think my self obliged to let them know, that this Region derives its Name from the Lappi or Lappones, the original Inhabitants of it, who were People of a rude and blockish Behaviour: The Word Lappon, being equivalent to barbarous, and ignorant, without the Knowledge of Arts or Letters: And hence it comes, that this Clime has been ever so proper for the Reception of Witches, and Propagation of the Conjuring Trade.
There is likewise one Circumstance, that, I own, a little shocks my Belief, in Relation to a young Lady, who, he says, was bewitch'd: nor do I think told it with that clean Regard to the Lady's Character, which Occurrences of this Nature require. He says, she was in as bad a Condition, as He who was possessed with a whole Legion of Devils: (An Account, which must of course alarm her Lovers, and may, possibly, prevent her of good Match.) When he has related the miraculous Cure made upon Her, by Mr. Campbell's taking her up into his Bed-chamber, he adds, that she stood upright, drank a Glass of Wine, and evacuated a great deal of Wind. This Charge of Immodesty upon a young Lady unmarried, is what I can by no Means allow: nor does the uncleanly Term become the Pen of a chast and polite Writer. But the Lady shall be vindicated from this Aspersion; for if you consult all Authors, both Ancient and Modern, no Virgin was ever thought capable of such an Indecency. Nor can I forbear condemning his Want of Judgment, in refering you to the Lady for the Truth of this: since it is putting his Reputation upon a Circumstance, which is not consistent with her Modesty to admit.
There is another Passage in his Book of singular Mystery: he is pleased to observe that Things are sometimes foretold by smelling, and That by Persons who are endued with a Second-Sight. This smelling of Futurity would be of notable Use to Statesmen: which brings to my Mind, that somewhere in an Old Play, the Politician cries, I smell a Plot. The Vulgar too have an Expression, when they speak of a Man they don't like, of smelling the Rogue, and smelling him out. These Phrases, no doubt, had their Original from this Kind of Prediction; and the terms remain, tho' the Gift be in great Part lost among Men. If this Gentleman could again teach the Learned to arrive at it, it would be attended with its Inconveniences, as well as Benefits; for we should have our Politicians running their Noses into every private Circumstance of Life, and a Set of State Beagles ever upon the Scent for new Treasons and Conspiracies: on the contrary, this Advantage might be derived, that an Invasion, which was never intended, seen, or heard of, might be smelt out by their unerring Sagacity.
Our Author proceeds to observe that Children, Horses, and Cows, have the Second Sight as well as Men and Women; yet at the same Time takes no Notice of Hogs, whom a great Part of the World have allowed to be gifted with Second Sight, and to be able to foretel Storms, and windy Weather. This appears to me like Prejudice, and does not consist with the Candour of an unbias'd Author: it looks as if he were carried away with the Humour of his Country, who are observed to be no Favourers of Pork, and therefore will allow Hogs no Share in Divination.
Indeed, but that I am afraid of being suspected of too much Learning, or that I would invalidate the Testimonies of this Author, I should be bold to say, that no Part of the Brute Creation have the Benefit of Second Sight: and that they have neither Organs, nor Reason, to discern, or distinguish Phantoms, from material Bodies: and therefore the old Rabins very subtly conjectured, that the Ass, which carried Balaam, was not a real Ass, but the Devil in Disguise, and subject to the Magical Power of the Prophet.