. Sieve-sailing. Excitement south of the Border. The
"Daemonologie." Statute of James against witchcraft. 106. The origin of
the incubus and succubus. 107. Mooncalves. 108. Division of opinion
amongst Reformers regarding devils. Giordano Bruno. Bullinger's opinion
about Sadducees and Epicures. 109. Emancipation a gradual process.
Exorcism in Edward VI.'s Prayer-book. 110. The author hopes he has been
reverent in his treatment of the subject. Any sincere belief entitled to
respect. Our pet beliefs may some day appear as dead and ridiculous as
these.

IV.

111. Fairies and devils differ in degree, not in origin. 112. Evidence.
113. Cause of difference. Folk, until disturbed by religious doubt,
don't believe in devils, but fairies. 114. Reformation shook people up,
and made them think of hell and devils. 115. The change came in the
towns before the country. Fairies held on a long time in the country.
116. Shakspere was early impressed with fairy lore. In middle life, came
in contact with town thought and devils, and at the end of it returned
to Stratford and fairydom. 117. This is reflected in his works. 118. But
there is progression of thought to be observed in these stages. 119.
Shakspere indirectly tells us his thoughts, if we will take the trouble
to learn them. 120. Three stages of thought that men go through on
religious matters. Hereditary belief. Scepticism. Reasoned belief. 121.
Shakspere went through all this. 122. Illustrations. Hereditary belief.
"A Midsummer Night's Dream." Fairies chiefly an adaptation of current
tradition. 123. The dawn of doubt. 124. Scepticism. Evil spirits
dominant. No guiding good. 125. Corresponding lapse of faith in other
matters. Woman's purity. 126. Man's honour. 127. Mr. Ruskin's view of
Shakspere's message. 128. Founded chiefly on plays of sceptical period.
Message of third period entirely different. 129. Reasoned belief. "The
Tempest." 130. Man can master evil of all forms if he go about it in the
right way--is not the toy of fate. 131. Prospero a type of Shakspere in
this final stage of thought. How pleasant to think this!

ELIZABETHAN DEMONOLOGY.

1. It is impossible to understand and appreciate thoroughly the
production of any great literary genius who lived and wrote in times far
removed from our own, without a certain amount of familiarity, not only
with the precise shades of meaning possessed by the vocabulary he made
use of, as distinguished from the sense conve