[56] As late as 1804 a vagabond named Maréchal was accused by the peasants in Longueville as a sorcerer and were-wolf. At his trial the mysterious were-wolf excursions were resolved into thieving rambles, and Maréchal was condemned for burglary to the galleys.
[57] During the restauration in 1815, when all the dead rose in their sepulchres, the famous von Görres sought to revive the belief in vampirism. He has written about it a work of mighty learning, wherein he discourses profusely of the “vegetative” sources of the body, which he asserts continue their activity after death, and thus enable the soul of the deceased to reoccupy and for a while reoperate its old machinery.
[58] Some of the popular forms of conjuration are in Latin, though corrupted so as to be almost beyond recognition. A couple of restored examples may be given. This is the formula against bloody-flux:
Sanguis mane in venis
Sicut Christus in pœnis,
Sanguis mane fixus
Sicut Christus fuit crucifixus.
Against fever:
Deus vos solvet sambuco, panem et sal ego vobis adduco, febrem tertianam et quotidianam accipite vos, qui nolo eam.
Against epilepsy:
Melchior, Balthaser, portans hæc nomina Caspar,
Solvitur e morbo Domini pietate caduco.
Perpetret et ternas defunctis psallere missas.
Barachun. Barachagim. Destrue. Subalgat.
[59] Compare Virgil, Ecl. VIII:
Terna tibi hæc primum triplici diversa colore
Licia circumdo....
Necte tribus nodis ternos, Amarylli, colores:
Necte, Amarylli, modo: et Veneris, dic, vincula necto.