the World what a Manks Man truly is, and what Power the Prejudice of Education has over weak Minds. If Books were of any Uſe among them, one would ſwear the Count of Gabalis had been not only tranſlated into the Manks Tongue, but that it was a fort of Rule of Faith to them, ſince there is no fictitious Being mentioned by him, in his Book of Abſurdities, which they would not readily give credit to. I know not, Idolizers as they are of the Clergy, whether they would not be even refractory to them, were they to preach againſt the Exiſtence of Fairies, or even againſt their being commonly ſeen: for tho' the Priesthood are a kind of Gods among them, yet ſtill Tradition is a greater God than they; and as they confidently aſſert that the firſt Inhabitants of their Iſland were Fairies, ſo do they maintain that theſe little People have ſtill their Reſidence among them: They call them the good People, and ſay they live in Wilds and Foreſts, and on Mountains, and ſhun great Cities becauſe of the Wickedness acted therein; all the Houſes are bleſſed where they viſit, for they fly Vice. A Perſon would be thought impudently prophane, who ſhould ſuffer
