historicalgeogra00psal

the IJJe Formo fa.
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Fancies, the Omen concerns fotne other Body 5
but if it ftrikes the Imagination, then they apply
it to themfelves. There were a cerrain fort of
Men who pretended to explain very clearly
all kinds of Omens for a very finall marter ^
but being for the molt parr miltaken in their ConjeElures,
the People complained of them to the
Prieft^, who accufed them to the Vice-i^oy as
guilty of a capital Crime, for which the Vice-
Roy condemned them to die : And ever fince :he
Prielts alone challenge to themlilves rhe Privilege
•, who fo explain all forrs of Omens, that
they can never be convieled of Lying in what
they fay : For either they pretend that their
God is well-pleas'd, or that he is angry with fuch
a Man, or that the Souls offomeot his deceased
Relations want Money , or that in the fame in-
Ilant, when they faw fuch an Omen, the Soul of
one of his Relations was transformed into a Star-,
all which the People do eaiily believe, who are
therefore perfuaded by the Prielis to acquaint
them with all the Omens they meet wich.
And here I (hall briefly relate a notable Story
concerning this matter. A certain rich Countryman
being much addifted to this kind of Supetftition,
had us'd for a long time to confult the
Priefts, who were wont very often to expouiid
his Omens, That fome of his Relations Souls flood
in need of Money : The Countryman at lalt grev^
weary of fuch expenfive Enquiries, and rhougnc
he had given Money enough to redeem ail thq.
Souls that belonged to the //7^, and therefore contrived
a way to cheat the Prielt: For which
end he went and told hini, that in the Morniiig
he had feen in his Garden more than ico Birds
linging, which after a fliort itay flew away : Bui:
the Prielt told him, If thefe Birds had continued
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'a fonder