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depth border upon each other, with the same course and wing he falls
down plump into the lowest bottom of things, like one who travels
the east into the west, or like a straight line drawn by its own
length into a circle. Whether a tincture of malice in our natures
makes us fond of furnishing every bright idea with its reverse, or
whether reason, reflecting upon the sum of things, can, like the
sun, serve only to enlighten one half of the globe, leaving the
other half by necessity under shade and darkness, or whether fancy,
flying up to the imagination of what is highest and best, becomes
over-short, and spent, and weary, and suddenly falls, like a dead
bird of paradise, to the ground; or whether, after all these
metaphysical conjectures, I have not entirely missed the true
reason; the proposition, however, which has stood me in so much
circumstance is altogether true, that as the most uncivilised parts
of mankind have some way or other climbed up into the conception of
a God or Supreme Power, so they have seldom forgot to provide their
fears with certain ghastly notions, which, instead of better, have
served them pretty tolerably for a devil. And this proceeding seems
to be natural enough, for it is with men whose imaginations are
lifted up very high after the same rate as with those whose bodies
are so, that as they are delighted with the advantage of a nearer
contemplation upwards, so they are equally terrified with the dismal
prospect of the precipice below. Thus in the choice of a devil it
has been the usual method of mankind to single out some being,
either in act or in vision, which was in most antipathy to the god
they had framed. Thus also the sect of the AEolists possessed
themselves with a dread and horror and hatred of two malignant
natures, betwixt whom and the deities they adored perpetual enmity
was established. The first of these was the chameleon, sworn foe to
inspiration, who in scorn devoured large influences of their god,
without refunding the smallest blast by eructation. The other was a
huge terrible monster called Moulinavent, who with four strong arms
waged eternal battle with all their divinities, dexterously turning
to avoid their blows and repay them with interest. {123}
Thus furnished, and set out with gods as well as devils, was the
renowned sect of AEolists, which makes at this day so illustrious a
figure in the world, and whereof that polite nation of Laplanders
are beyond all doubt a most authentic branch, of whom I therefore
cannot without injustice here omit to make honourable mention, since
they appear to be so closely allied in point of interest as well as
inclinations with their brother AEolists among us, as not only to
buy their winds by wholesale from the same merchants, but also to
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