THE ELIZABETHAN FAIRIES

ORIGIN AND NATURE 4 7
or countenances, they differ as to vigour and cheerfulness: They
occupy various places of this world; as Woods, Mountains, Waters,
Air, fiery Flames, Clouds, Starrs, Mines, and hid Treasures: as
also antient Buildings, and places of the slain. Some again are
familiar in Houses, and do frequently converse with, and appear
unto mortals.
They are capable of hunger, grief, passion, and vexation: they
have not any thing in them that should bring them unto God:
being meerly composed of the most spiritual part of the Elemeuts:
And when they are worn out, they return into their proper essence
or primary quality again; as Ice when it is resolved into water.'?
John Webster, in The Displaying of Supposed Witch-
craft, explains :
. . . if the thing were truly related (a most convincing Relation,
to prove the Existence of Spirits, called, The Devil of Mascon)
. . . as to the matter of fact, that it must needs be some Creature
of a middle Nature, and no evil Spirit, both because it was such a
sportful and mannerly Creature, that it would leave them, and not
disturb them at their devotions; as also . . . because it denied that
it was a Devil, and professed that it hoped to be saved by Christ.7s
Page 495.
Page 41. Webster is here speaking of the fairies. Cf. also Peter
Heylyn, Cosmographie in foure Books contayning the Chorographie
and Historie of the Whole World and all the Principal Kilzgdomes
Provinces Seas and Isles thereof, London, 1677, Appendix, p. 161.
It is interesting to note that this theory of the fairies is to be
found in Robert of Gloucester's Chronicle, Hearne ed., Oxford, 1724,
VO~.
I, p. 130:
" pe clerkes seide, pat yt is in philosophie y fonde,
pat per bep in pe eir an hey, fer fro pe gronde,
As a maner gostes, wygtes as it be,
And me may hem ofte on erpe in wylde studes y se,
And ofte in monne's fourme wymmen heo comep to,
And ofte in wymmen forme pei comep to men a1 so,
pat men clepup eluene, . . . "