Mr. Mompesson is a Gentleman, of whose truth in this account; I have not the least ground of suspicion, he being neither vain nor credulous, but a discreet, sagacious and manly person. Now the credit of matters of Fact depends much upon the Relators, who, if they cannot be deceived themselves, nor supposed any ways interessed to impose upon others, ought to be credited. For upon these circumstances, all humane Faith is grounded, and matter of Fact is not capable of any proof besides, but that of immediate sensible evidence. Now this Gentlemen cannot be thought ignorant, whether that he relates be true or no; the Scene of all being his own house, himself a witness, and that not of a circumstance or two, but of an hundred, nor for once or twice only, but for the space of some years, during which he was a concerned, and inquisitive Observer. So that it cannot with any shew of reason be supposed that any of his Servants abused him, since in all that time he must needs have detected the deceit. And what interest could any of his Family have had (if it had been possible to have managed without discovery) to continue so long so troublesome, and so injurious an Imposture? Nor can it with any whit of more probability be imagined, that his own melancholy deluded him since (besides that he is no crazy, nor imaginative person) that humour could not have been so lasting and pertinacious. Or if it were so in him, can we think he infected his whole Family, and those multitudes of Neighbours and others, who had so often been witnesses of those passages? Such supposals are wild, and not like to tempt any, but those whose Wills are their Reasons. So that upon the whole, the principal Relator Mr. Mompesson himself knew, whether what he reports was true or not, whether those things acted in his House were contrived Cheats, or extraordinary Realities. And if so, what interest could he serve in carrying on, or conniving at a jugling Design and Imposture?
He suffered by it in his Name, in his Estate, in all his Affairs, and in the general peace of his Family. The Unbelievers in the matter of Spirits and Witches took him for an Imposter. Many others judged the permission of such an extraordinary Evil to be the judgment of God upon him, for some notorious wickedness or impiety. Thus his Name was continually exposed to censure, and his Estate suffered, by the concourse of people from all parts to his House, by the diversion it gave him from his affairs, by the discouragement of Servants, by reason of which he could hardly get any to live with him. To which if I add the continual hurry that his Family was in, the af-
