| Share page |
|
176 BYGONE SUSSEX.
began to pray, when the girl appeared to be going through a spiritual conflict, "and broke out into such passionate and strange expressions as seemed to have proceeded from a sense of some extraordinary assault from devils." After a while she made a disposition of her little possessions, and then began to talk with herself. These meditations, apparently of delirium, Mr. Turner noted down pen in hand, and it covers a good page of this great folio, but is not worth reproducing. She died on the following day. (Chap, i., 10).
Touching for the King's Evil.
The belief that the British monarchs had the power to cure scrofula by touch is one of great antiquity, and long survived. "Concerning which," says our author, "take only this story; discoursing upon a time with Mr. Philip Caryll, of Shipley, in Sussex, a Roman Catholick, concerning miracles done in this last age, in this nation ; he produced this for an instance : That his son being affected with that distemper (he having no faith in the case), was earnestly perswaded to address himself to King Charles the Second for a touch of his hand ; which having procured, his son was |
||