Colloquies on Society | Page 6

or merely as remarkable?"
"Merely as remarkable," was my answer. "Yet there are certain moods
of mind in which we can scarcely help ascribing an ominous
importance to any remarkable coincidence wherein things of moment
are concerned."
"Are you superstitious?" said he. "Understand me as using the word for
want of a more appropriate one--not in its ordinary and contemptuous
acceptation."
I smiled at the question, and replied, "Many persons would apply the
epithet to me without qualifying it. This, you know, is the age of reason,
and during the last hundred and fifty years men have been reasoning
themselves out of everything that they ought to believe and feel.
Among a certain miserable class, who are more numerous than is

commonly supposed, he who believes in a First Cause and a future
state is regarded with contempt as a superstitionist. The religious
naturalist in his turn despises the feebler mind of the Socinian; and the
Socinian looks with astonishment or pity at the weakness of those who,
having by conscientious inquiry satisfied themselves of the authenticity
of the Scriptures, are contented to believe what is written, and
acknowledge humility to be the foundation of wisdom as well as of
virtue. But for myself, many, if not most of those even who agree with
me in all essential points, would be inclined to think me superstitious,
because I am not ashamed to avow my persuasion that there are more
things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in their philosophy."
"You believe, then, in apparitions," said my visitor.
Montesinos.--Even so, sir. That such things should be is probable a
priori; and I cannot refuse assent to the strong evidence that such things
are, nor to the common consent which has prevailed among all people,
everywhere, in all ages a belief indeed which is truly catholic, in the
widest acceptation of the word. I am, by inquiry and conviction, as well
as by inclination and feeling, a Christian; life would be intolerable to
me if I were not so. "But," says Saint Evremont, "the most devout
cannot always command their belief, nor the most impious their
incredulity." I acknowledge with Sir Thomas Brown that, "as in
philosophy, so in divinity, there are sturdy doubts and boisterous
objections, wherewith the unhappiness of our knowledge too nearly
acquainteth us;" and I confess with him that these are to be conquered,
"not in a martial posture, but on our knees." If then there are moments
wherein I, who have satisfied my reason, and possess a firm and
assured faith, feel that I have in this opinion a strong hold, I cannot but
perceive that they who have endeavoured to dispossess the people of
their old instinctive belief in such things have done little service to
individuals and much injury to the community.
Stranger.--Do you extend this to a belief in witchcraft?
Montesinos.--The common stories of witchcraft confute themselves, as
may be seen in all the trials for that offence. Upon this subject I would
say with my old friend Charles Lamb -
"I do not love to credit tales of magic! Heaven's music, which is order,
seems unstrung. And this brave world (The mystery of God)
unbeautified, Disordered, marred, where such strange things are acted."

The only inference which can be drawn from the confession of some of
the poor wretches who have suffered upon such charges is, that they
had attempted to commit the crime, and thereby incurred the guilt and
deserved the punishment. Of this indeed there have been recent
instances; and in one atrocious case the criminal escaped because the
statute against the imaginary offence is obsolete, and there exists no
law which could reach the real one.
Stranger.--He who may wish to show with what absurd perversion the
forms and technicalities of law are applied to obstruct the purposes of
justice, which they were designed to further, may find excellent
examples in England. But leaving this allow me to ask whether you
think all the stories which are related of an intercourse between men
and beings of a superior order, good or evil, are to be disbelieved like
the vulgar tales of witchcraft
Montesinos.--If you happen, sir, to have read some of those ballads
which I threw off in the high spirits of youth you may judge what my
opinion then was of the grotesque demonology of the monks and
middle ages by the use there made of it. But in the scale of existences
there may be as many orders above us as below. We know there are
creatures so minute that without the aid of our glasses they could never
have been discovered; and this fact, if it were not notorious as well as
certain, would appear not less incredible to sceptical minds than that
there should be beings