of his Predictions; for if he had foretold the King's good Success and Victory, the Woman and he, the Confederate, in consequence, had been sure of Reputation and Favour, and farther Rewards, if it happened so; but no Evil could have befallen them from the contrary success: For if Saul was killed, the Falshood of the Prediction would be buried with him, (for was read not that the two Servants were at this Communication, which in all likelihood was private) and no other Evil like to ensue.
So that if it were a confederate Knave, as the Witch-Advocates have contrived, that made the Answers, he was not so cunning as Mr. Scot, Mr. Webster, and the rest pretend, but indeed a very silly Juggler. He speaks very severe and disobliging things, and such as were not like to redound to his advantage, and indeed such things they were, as do not at all look as if they proceeded from a confederate Couzener. They have that Gravity, Majesty, Religion, and Vertue in them, that became the true Samuel, and are very unlike the Words of a vicious cheating Knave.
To which may be added, that this Woman, though otherwise an ill one, seems to have been of a kind and benign Nature, by the courteous Entertainment she gave the afflicted Prince, and Josephus extolls her much for her good Nature: So that it is very improbable, that she would by her self or her Confederate, lay such an heavy load of Trouble and Desperation upon the King, that was in such Distress before. I think, all these things put together, are abundantly sufficient to disprove, and shame the ungrounded Fancy of the Witch-Advocates, that all was done by a Confederate. And consequently it was a real Apparition that Saul saw, and did civil Obeysance to.
