2862. About traveling spirits, from whom other spirits flee away
I heard spirits making a sound as if with little bells, such as horses drawing carriages and carts are customarily equipped with in England. It was like the sound of little bells, and they had the same gait, so to speak, so that I could not tell otherwise for a long time but that they were such bells. But I realized that they were spirits who make this sound exactly like belled horses before carriages, also trotting quite slowly, and inspiring the perception that they are travelers.
They came from the back side of the head and slowly went forward. It seemed as if they were going forward toward the front parts of the head, but this was a pretense and figment arising from their fantasy, which is also used to pretending that they were somewhere else, when yet they remain in the same place. So they make themselves heard everywhere as of they were present.
2862. CONCERNING TRAVELLING [viatoribus] SPIRITS, WHOM OTHER SPIRITS FLY FROM.
I heard spirits sounding as if with little bells, where-with it is customary in England to deck horses drawing carriages and burdens [loads]. There was a similar sound of bells, and as it were, a similar gait, so that for a long time I could not know other than that they were such; but I perceived that it was spirits who thus sound, just like belled horses before carriages, also stepping quite slowly, and inspiring a perception that they are travelers. They came from the back part of the head, and progressed slowly: it seemed as if they proceeded towards the anterior [parts] of the head: but this was a feigned and represented thing [simulatum et effictum] flowing from their phantasy, which is also wont to simulate, as if they were elsewhere, when yet they remain in the same place. Thus they cause that they are [themselves to be] heard, as if present everywhere.
2862. De spiritibus viatoribus, quos fugiunt alii spiritus
Audivi spiritus sonantes, sicut campanulis, quibus solent equi vehentes currus et onera, praediti esse in Anglia, similis campanularum 1
sonus erat, et similis quasi gressus, sic ut diu non potui aliter scire, quam quod tales essent, sed percepi quod spiritus essent, qui ita sonant, prorsus sicut equi ante currus campanu lati, gradientes quoque satis lente, et incutientes perceptionem quod viatores sint, veniebant a parte posteriore capitis, et lente progrediendo, visum quasi versus anteriora capitis progrederentur, sed hoc erat simulatum et effictum, fluens ex eorum phantasia, quae quoque simulare solet, quasi essent alibi, cum tamen manent in
(2863.) eodem loco, sic faciunt, ut audiantur ubique, sicut praesentes. Cum eorum sonus audiebatur ab aliis spiritibus, tunc fugiebant, putabam quod simile quid esset vento orientali (de quo prius [2121-2127]) nempe 2
aliquod ejus genus, qui 3
dissiparet spiritus; fugiebant inde spiritus, et dicebant quod tales sint, qui 4
auferunt iis sua bona, sic ut furentur, quare aufugerunt, cumque quaererem, quaenam bona auferrent in altera vita, dicebant quod quisque haberrt aliquid, quod amittere non vellet; quare possum intelligere, quod tales spiritus ab iis dissiparentur, qui phantasia ista praediti sunt, quod bona possideant, nempe 5
aliquid auri, argenti, vestium et similium; cumque phantasia aliorum, qui furantur, influit, tunc aufugiunt et dissipantur. 1748, 19 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has campanaluram
2. The Manuscript has nem
3. In the Manuscript quod in qui emendatum
4. The Manuscript has qui qui
5. The Manuscript has nem