after, one of Sir Normand's men came to the house, bidding them provide lights, &e. for his master had newly landed; and thus the prediction was immediately accomplished.

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Sir Normand hearing of it, called for the Seer, and examined him about it; he answered, that he had seen the spirit called Browny, in human shape, come several times, and make a shew of carrying an old woman that sat by the fire to the door'; and at last seemed to carry her out by neck and heels, which made him laugh heartily, and gave occasion to the rest to conclude he was mad, to laugh so without reason. This instance was told

me by Sir Normand himself.

Four men from the isle of Sky and Harries having gone to Barbadoes, stayed there for fourteen years; and though they were wont to see the Second Sight in their native country, they never saw it in Barbadoes: but upon their return to England, the first night after their landing, they saw the Second Sight, as was told me by several of their acquaintance.

John Morison, who lives in Bernera of Harries, wears the plant called Fuga Dæmonum, sewed in the neck of his coat, to prevent his seeing of visions, and says he never saw any since he first carried that plant about him. He suffered me to feel the plant in the neck of his coat, but would by no means let me open the seam, though I offered him a reward to let me do it.

A spirit, by the country people called Browny, was frequently seen in all the most considerable families in the isles and north of Scotland, in the

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shape of a tall man; but within these twenty or thirty years past, he is seen but rarely.

There were spirits also that appeared in the shape of women, horses, swine, cats, and some like fiery balls, which would follow men in the fields; but there has been but few instances of these for forty years past.

These spirits used also to form sounds in the air, resembling those of a harp, pipe, crowing of a cock, and of the grinding of querns: and sometimes they have heard voices in the air by night, singing Irish songs; the words of which songs some of my acquaintance still retain. One of them resembled the voice of a woman who had died some time before, and the song related to her state in the other world. These accounts I had from persons of as great integrity as any are in the world.

AN

ACCURATE ACCOUNT

OF

SECOND-SIGHTED MEN

IN

SCOTLAND:

IN TWO LETTERS FROM A LEARNED FRIEND OF MINE IN SCOTland.

Extracted from Aubrey's Miscellanies.

I. To Mr. John Aubrey, Fellow of the Royal

SIR,

Society.

FOR your satisfaction I drew satisfaction I drew up some queries about the Second-Sighted men, and having sent them to the northern parts of this kingdom, some while ago, I received answers to them from two different hands, whereof I am now to give you an account, viz.

QUERY 1. If some few credible, well attested instances of such a knowledge as is commonly called the Second Sight, can be given?

ANSW. Many instances of such knowledge can

be given, by the confession of such who are skilled in that faculty for instances I refer you to the fourth query.

QUERY 2. If it consists in the discovery of present or past events only? or if it extend to such as are to come?

Past

ANSW. The Second Sight relates only to things future, which will shortly come to pass. events I learn nothing of it.

QUERY 3. If the objects of this knowledge, be sad and dismal events only; such as deaths and murders? or, joyful and prosperous also?

4

ANSW. Sad and dismal events, are the objects of this knowledge: as sudden deaths, dismal accidents. That they are prosperous, or joyful, I cannot learn. Only one instance I have from a person worthy of credit, and thereby judge of the joyfulness, or prosperity of it, and it is this. Near 40 years ago, Macklean and his lady, sister to my Lord Seaforth, were walking about their own house, and in their return both came into the nurse's chamber, where their young child was on the breast at their coming into the room, the nurse falls a weeping; they asked the cause, dreading the child was sick, or that she was scarce of milk : the nurse replied, the child was well, and she had abundance of milk; yet she still wept; and being pressed to tell what ailed her; she at last said Macklean would die, and the lady would shortly be married to another man. Being inquired how she knew that event, she told them plainly, that as they came both into the room, she saw a man with a scarlet cloak and a white hat betwixt them, giving

the lady a kiss over the shoulder; and this was the cause of weeping. All which came to pass after Macklean's death; the tutor of Lovat married the lady in the same habit the woman saw him. Now by this instance, judge if it be prosperous to one, it is as dismal to another.

QUERY 4. If these events which Second-Sighted. men discover, or foretell, be visibly represented to them, and acted, as it were before their eyes?

ANSW. Affirmatively, they see those things visibly; but none sees but themselves; for instance, if a man's fatal end be hanging, they will see a gibbet, or a rope about his neck: if beheaded, they will see the man without a head; if drowned, they will see water up to his throat; if unexpected death, they will see a windingsheet about his head: all which are represented to their view. One instance I had from a gentleman here, of a Highland gentleman of the MacDonalds, who having a brother that came to visit him, saw him coming in, wanting a head; yet told not his brother he saw any such thing; but within twentyfour hours thereafter, his brother was taken, (being a murderer) and his head cut off, and sent to Edinburgh. Many such instances might be given.

QUERY 5. If the Second Sight be a thing that is troublesome and uneasy to those that have it, and such as they would gladly be rid of?

ANSW. It is commonly talked by all I spoke with, that it is troublesome; and they would gladly be freed from it, but cannot only I heard lately of a man very much troubled in his soul therewith, and by serious begging of God deliver