The World Bewitched, Half title – Dedication
THE World Bewitch'd, &c.
Vol. I.
THE World Bewitch'd; OR, An Examination of the Common Opinions CONCERNING SPIRITS: Their Nature, Power, Adminiſtration, and Operations.
AS ALSO, The Effects Men are able to produce by their Communication.
Divided into IV Parts. BY BALTHAZAR BEKKER, D.D. and Paſtor at Amsterdam.
VOL. I.
Tranſlated from a French Copy, approved of and ſubſcribed by the Author's own Hand.
Printed for R. Baldwin in Warwick-Lane, 1695.
TO Mr. Feyo John Winter, Doctor of Phyſick; Formerly Burgermaſter and Counſellor of State in the City of Leeuwarden; As alſo Deputy to the States of Frieſeland; And Elder of the Walloon Church in the ſame Town.
Moſt Honoured Couſin,
I Am bound to you ſince a long time with ſuch particular Obligations, and my Duty ties me to you with ſuch strict Bands, that there is no Man in the World, beſides the own Brothers of my Dear Spouſe but I ought to prefer you before him. I have dedicated to them the two first. Books of the World Bewitch'd, and amongst all my Friends, whoſe Names I intend to prefix to each part of the French Tranſlation, I have made choice of you for this, that is, the first of all, and going to be publiſh'd. It's above thirty years ſince I have the Honour to be acquainted with you, and about fifteen, ſince I am allied to you by your Marriage with the Lady Henriette Fullenia, the nearest Couſin of my Spouſe, both from Father and Mother's ſide. It's likewiſe very near twenty years, ſince I was ſo happy as to ſee you a Member of the first College of the States of Frieſland, on whoſe direction the good or had ſucceſs of my Affairs depended at that time. When occaſion has offer'd it ſelf, I receiv'd from you Teſtimonies of a juſt favour and an ingenious diſtinction. Your Marriage tied more ſtrictly the Bands of the Friendſhip you had for me; and I have had the pleaſure to ſee it lasting to this day. You gave me lately an obliging proof of it, when you were pleas'd to preſent from me to his Highneſs, Prince Henry Caſimir of Naſſau, Hereditary Governor of our common Country, &c. my Frieſland's Divinity; which I had taken the liberty to dedicate to him. For I was not in a capacity of preſenting it my ſelf; becauſe the great Employments of his Hig…eſs calling him at every moment to different parts of his Government, I could not be ſure ſo much as an hour of the place, where I might meet with him. This circumſtance procur'd me the Honour of receiving by the next Poſt a Letter from that Prince, containing very expreſs Marks of his Affection; in which he alſo declar'd, that my Dedication had not been unpleaſant to him. But I have ſtill another reaſon that ingages me to preſent you with the Tranſlation of this Work, with which you ſeem'd very much pleas'd. It's your particular Concern in the Affairs of the Churches, in whoſe Tongue 'tis written, and in general in all thoſe of our Holy Religion: To this you inceſſantly apply your ſelf with a Zeal worthy of Imitation and Admiration, diſcharging ſtill in the Walloon Church of your City, the Honourable Function of Elder, which you have formerly diſcharg'd many times; as well as in the Church of your Mother Tongue. Farther, I thought fit to cauſe this Treatiſe to be Tranſlated my ſelf, leſt ſome others ſhould undertake it, having been advis'd, that the Tranſlation of it had been begun in this Town, …nd elſewhere, without my knowledge; which however is happen'd, but ſince the late Synod of North-Holland; the proceedings that were made againſt me, having only been of uſe to excite the curioſity of the publick, as to this matter. And therefore I have prevented the deſigns of thoſe, who intended to make this Tranſlation, and provided at the ſame time, leſt any ſhould appear under my name, without my conſent, and my reviſing of it, as I may aſſert that I have done this. It comes from a Frenchman, who has carefully apply'd himſelf to the ſtudy of our Tongue, and ſeems to me to underſtand his own very well. For tho' I am not converſant with it ſo far, as to have Tranſlated my own Book my ſelf: yet I think that I am able to judge, that I ſhould not have better ſucceeded, nor more expreſly have render'd my own Thoughts, if I had been in a capacity of undertaking it. Beſides, this Tranſlation being almoſt verbal, becauſe the quality of the Work required it; It is ſo much the more difficult, and worthy that its defects ſhould be over-look'd. I think at leaſt, that no other difference will be perceived, betwixt it and the Original, but that of the Tongue; no real change having been made in it. I own that ſeveral matters of Fact have been added, and inſerted in divers places of this Book; but nothing has been left out, ſo that the Reader ſhall have no occaſion of complaining of his Loſſes; but rather of being glad of the new advantages that accrue to him. I alſo have added after the Preface, an Abridgement of the whole Work, as a preliminary, that gives a general view and notion of it, including in ſubſtance, the Contents of the three laſt Books, that are to be ſucceſſively Tranſlated; the ſecond being already far advanc'd. I only earneſtly wiſh, that you may be as well ſatisfied with my Dedication, as I am with this Tranſlation. So that all that I have to do, is to commend you, and all your Friends and Relations, to the Grace of God, which I heartily beg of you all. But leſt any French Copy, of any of theſe Four Books, ſhould be publiſh'd under my name, beſides, thoſe that are printed in this Townt for Peter Rotterdam, the firſt of which is dedicated to you; I declare that I own no other, but ſuch as are ſubſcribed by me, as this is, wherein I aſſure you with my own Hand, that I am,
Moſt Honoured Couſin, Your moſt Obedient, And Obliged Servant. B. Bekker. Was Subſcribed in the Original, Amſterdam, July 18, 1693.