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Chap. III.
Of the Astral Spirits of men departed: What they are: And why they appear again: And what Witchcraft may be wrought by them.
1. AS the Astral Spirits separate, which belong not to any deceased per∣son, do for many years survive, or continue;* 1.1 so if the party de∣ceased hath departed in discontent, and melancholy, it is often known that they return again, and causing terrour to families and houses, do wait for opportunity to disburthen themselves, that at length they may come into their desired rest.
2. The opinion of many is, That the Devill in their likenesse is all that appears:* 1.2 But the more Learned have sufficiently demonstrated, through Example, and Experience; That the apparition is really proper to the person deceased. Nor can it easily be denyd, That to every man, and woman, while they live the natural Life, there belongs a Syderial, or starry Spirit; which takes its original wholly from the Elemental property: And according to the weaker, or stronger capa∣city of the party, it hath the longer, or shorter continuance, after the bodyes decease.
3. Such persons as are secretly murthered,* 1.3 and such as secretly murther themselves, do most frequently appear again, and wander hear the place where their Carcase is, till the radical moisture be totally consumed: according to the opinion of Paracelsus, after the consumption whereof, they can re-appear no longer, but are resolv'd into their first being, or Astrum, after a certain term of months, or years, according to the vigour, or force of that first attraction which was the only cause of their returning.
4. The manner and seasons of their appearing are various:* 1.4 Sometimes before the person, unto whom they do belong, depart this life, they do by external presentations forewarn him, near the time, that the day of death approacheth. As it is reported of Codrus Laaenus, to whom an empty, meager Ghost appea∣red at midnight, signifying unto him, how sad and lachrymable a Tragedy was shortly to attend him; and also adding, that he would visit him in the Execution there∣of: which proved not contrary to the words of the apparition; for at the very instant, when his Treacherous Wife had stab'd him at the heart, on a suddain he beheld the same, with preparations for his interment, whilst he yet survived, after the fatall wound was given.
5. Sometimes the starry spirit of a person appears to his beloved Companion,* 1.5 many hundred of miles asunder, who was ignorant of the death of the party: And it hath often been heard, that when none of the kindred or family of the said party deceased, have ever been disturbed by it, or in the least been sensi∣ble of its appearing; yet to some of its most intimate acquaintance, it disco∣vers it self, and importunes them to perform some ceremony, or other, that it may be returned into rest; or else discovers some treasure, which was hid by the party whilest alive, or else some murther which it had commited: But the most frequent cause of their returning, is when the party hath himself been privately murthered.
6. For such is the poysonous malice, and bloudy spirit of the murtherers,* 1.6 that it sufficeth them not to have privately bereaved them of their Lives; but also by certain earnest Wishes, Curses, and Conjurations, they do afterwards adjure them, that for such a term of years, they shall never have power to ap∣pear again: Which wishes, being earnestly given forth, from the hellish root in the murtherer, do exceedingly torment the murthered parties spirit, taking deep impression thereon; so that it is alwayes in continual sorrow, and anguish, till the term of years be expired, and till the murther be made manifest to the world: after which discovery, it returns to perfect rest; This is well known to those that are exercised in Witchcraft, and cruell Murthers, though not com∣mon to those that murther but once.