s, who have spent their time above, quite as badly as the
two preceding. Here is a fellow who has been making as great a fool of
himself, as the Devil did at Shrewsbury the other day; who, in the midst
of the interlude of Doctor Faustus, whilst some, according to the custom
on such occasions, were committing adultery with their eyes, some with
their hands, others making assignations for the same purpose, and doing
various other things profitable to your kingdom, made his appearance to
play his own part; by which blunder, he drove every one from taking his
pleasure to praying. In like manner did this numskull act; for, whilst
journeying over the world, on hearing two wenches talking of walking
round the church at night, in order to see their sweethearts, he must
needs show himself in the figure he wears at home, to the two fools, who
on recovering their senses, which at first they lost from fright,
solemnly abjured all frivolity for ever. There's a ninny-hammer for you!
Instead of appearing like a devil, he ought to have divided himself and
assumed the forms of two dirty, unlicked boors; for the girls would have
imagined themselves bound to accept them, and then the filthy goblin
might have lived as husband with the two female parties, without
troubling a clergyman to perform the marriage.

"And here is another," said he, "who went the last dark night, to visit
two young maidens in Wales, who were _turning the shift_; and instead of
enticing the girls to wantonness in the figure of a handsome youth, he
must needs go to one with a _hearse_ to sober her; and to the other with
the _sound of war_ in an infernal whirlwind, to drive her farther from
her senses than she was before, and there was no need for that. But this
is not the whole, for after going into the last girl, he cast her down
and tormented her furiously, so that her parents in horror, sent for some
of our enemies the clergy, to pray over her and cast him out, which they
did. Now, if he had been wise, instead of kicking up such a hubbub, he
would have tempted her quietly to despair, and to make away with herself.
On another time, wishing to gain some of the conventiclers, he went to
preach to them, and revealed the secrets of your kingdom; thus, instead
of hindering, assisting their salvation." At the word _salvation_, I
could see some emitting living fire for madness. "Capital stories both,
I won't deny," said the goblin; "but I hope that Lucifer will not p