frights, vexations and tossings up and down of his Children, and the watchings and Disturbance of his whole house (in all which, himself must needs be the most concerned) I say, if these things are considered, there will be little reason to think he could have any interest to put a cheat upon the World, in which he would most have injured and abused himself. Or if he should of all have designed and managed so incredible, so unprofitable a Delusion, 'tis strange that he should have troubled himself so long in such a business, only to deceive, and to be talkt of. And it is yet more so, that none of those many inquisitive persons that came thither purposely to criticize and examine the truth of those matters, could make any discoveries of the Jugling, especially since many came prejudiced against the belief of such things in general, and others resolved before-hand against the belief of this, and all were permitted the utmost freedom of search and enquiry. And after things were weighed and examined, some that were before greatly prejudiced, went away fully convinced. To all which I add, that
There are divers particulars in the story, in which no abuse or deceit could have been practiced, as the motion of Boards and Chairs of themselves, the beating of a Drum in the midst of a Room, and in the Air, when nothing was to be seen: the great heat in a Chamber that had no Fire in excessive cold weather, the scratching and panting, the violent beating and shaking of the Bedsteads, of which there was no perceivable cause or occasion: In these and such like Instances, it is not to be conceived how tricks could have been put upon so many, so jealous, and so inquisitive Persons as were witnesses of them.
'Tis true, that when the Gentlemen the King sent were there, the House was quiet, and nothing seen nor heard that night, which was confidently and with triumph urged by many, as a confutation of the story. But 'twas bad Logick to conclude in matters of Fact from a single Negative and such a one against numerous Affirmatives, and so affirm that a thing was never done, because not at such a particular time, and that no body ever saw what this Man or that did not. By the same way of reasoning, I may infer that there were never any Robberies done on Salisbury Plain, Hounslow Heath, or the noted places, because I have often Travelled all those ways, and yet was never Robbed; and the Spaniard inferred well that said, There was no Sun in England, because he had been six weeks here, and never saw it. This is the common argument of those that deny the Being of Apparitions, they have Travelled all hours of the night, and never saw any thing worse than themselves (which
