SECT. XIX.
That it was a real Apparition, not a confederate Knave, as Mr. Webster fancies, that Saul saw and did Obeysance to.
But did she not turn out her confederate Knave to act the Part of Samuel? and was not this he to whom Saul bowed? This Mr. Webster offers as part of his Answer. The Woman, v. 14. describes Samuel in the Form of an old Man covered with a Mantle; such a shape she must have put the confederate Knave into. It may be it was an old Fellow, or she made him look like old; but let that pass; but where got she the Mantle? A Sacerdotal Habiliment it was, according to Josephus. Had the Woman a Wardrobe of all Habits for all purposes? Or was it some short Cloak of her own that she threw on him? We will suppose either that will serve Mr. Webster's turn best. But how did the Fellow himself, or the old Quean for him, change his Visage into the likeness of Samuel, or how alter his Voice, so as to make Saul, who well knew Samuel, to believe it was even he? These are hard Questions.
But if we should so far gratifie Mr. Scot, Mr. Webster, and the rest, as not to press with such untoward Queries; yet one cannot chuse but ask how the confederate Knave came to foretel truly such contingent things, as that the Israelites should be vanquished by the Philistines, and Saul and his Sons slain on the Morrow, as v. 19. How could the Cheat, or the Woman in another Room tell this? Why! saith Mr. Wagstaffe, he spake it at a venture, and he or the Witch gave a shrewd guess to the Sequel, saith Mr. Scot. but what ground was there for conjecture? and since there was none, the Confederate might as well have chose to told Saul, that he and his Sons should Live and be Victorious; and this, if he were so cunning a Fellow, as these cunning Men make him, he would have done, for the Witches Business and his, was to get by their Practice, and the likelier way to a good Reward, had been to have Prophecied grateful and pleasant things to the troubled King; and if the Prophesier knew nothing of the Event, he might as well have chosen the good as the evil side, which as it had been for his Interest, it had been also for the better saving of the credit
