moft within the reach of her Enemies; when the Huntsman getting forward threw down his Pole before the Dogs. They were now within eight Yards of that Game which they had been pursuing for almost as many Hours; yet on the fignal before-mentioned they all made a fudden Stand, and though they continued opening as much as before, durft not once attempt to pass beyond the Pole. At the fame time Sir ROGER rode forward, and alighting, took up the Hare in his Arms; which he foon delivered up to one of his Servants with an Order, if she could be kept alive, to let her go in his great Orchard; where it seems he has several of these Prisoners of War, who live together in a very comfortable Captivity. I was highly pleased to fee the Discipline of the Pack, and the Goodnature of the Knight, who could not find in his Heart to murder a Creature that had given him fo much Diversion.

FOR my own part I intend to hunt twice a Week during my Stay with Sir ROGER; and shall prefcribe the moderate Ufe of this Exercife to all my Country Friends, as the best kind of Phyfick for mending a bad Constitution, and preserving a good one.

I cannot do this better, than in the following Lines out of Mr. Dryden.

THE first Phyficians by Debauch were made;
Excefs began, and Sloth fuftains the Trade.

By

Chace our long-lived Fathers earned their Food; Toil ftrung the Nerves, and purify'd the Blood; But we their Sons, a pamper'd Race of Men, Are dwindled down to threefcore Years and ten. Better to hunt in Fields for Health unbought, Than fee the Doctor for a nauseous Draught. The Wife for Cure on Exercife depend: God never made his Work for Man to mend.

Errors and Prepoffeffions. When the Arguments prefs equally on both fides in Matters that are indifferent to us, the fafeft Method is to give up ourselves to neither.

IT is with this Temper of Mind that I consider the Subject of Witchcraft. When I hear the Relations that are made from all Parts of the World, not only from Norway and Lapland, from the East and West-Indies, but from every particular Nation in Europe, I cannot forbear thinking that there is fuch an Intercourfe and Commerce with Evil Spirits, as that which we express by the Name of Witchcraft. But when I confider that the ignorant and credulous Parts of the World abound moft in these Relations, and that the Perfons among us, who are fuppofed to engage in fuch an infernal Commerce, are People of a weak Understanding and crazed Imagination, and at the fame time reflect upon the many Impostures and Delufions of this Nature that have been detected in all Ages, I endeavour to fufpend my Belief till I hear more certain Accounts than any which have yet come to my Knowledge. In short, when I confider the Queftion, whether there are fuch Perfons in the World as those we call Witches, my Mind is divided between the two oppofite Opinions; or rather (to speak my Thoughts freely) I believe in general

that there is, and has been fuch a thing as Witchcraft; but at the fame time can give no Credit to any particular Instance of it.

I am engaged in this Speculation, by fome Occurrences that I met with Yesterday, which I shall give my Reader an Account of at large. As I was walking with my Friend Sir ROGER by the fide of one of his Woods, an old Woman applied herself to me for my Charity. Her Dress and Figure put me in mind of the following Defcription in Otway. In a clofe Lane as I pursued my Journey,

I spy'd a wrinkled Hag, with Age grown double,
Picking dry Sticks, and mumbling to herself.

Her Eyes with fcalding Rheum were gall'd and red;
Cold Palfy book her Head; her Hands feem'd wither'd ;
And on her crooked Shoulders bad fhe wrapp'd

The tatter'd Remnants of an old ftriped Hanging,
Which ferved to keep her Carcafe from the Cold:
So there was nothing of a Piece about her.
Her lower Weeds were all o'er coarsely patch'd
With diff'rent colour'd Rags, black, red, white, yellow,
And feem'd to speak Variety of Wretchedness.

AS I was musing on this Description, and comparing it with the Object before me, the Knight told me, that this very old Woman had the Reputation of a Witch all over the Country, that her Lips were observed to be always in Motion, and that there was not a Switch about her House