the sabbath commenced, so that there was not time for the Former of all things to complete this part of his plan.*

One authority declares that some are made of fire, others of air, others of water and earth.† Other rabbies assert them to be all composed of two elements, fire and air.

The Talmud says: concerning demons.

'Six things are declared 'They have three things in common with ministering angels, and three in common with men. They have wings;-they fly from one extremity of the world to the other;-they know future events;-like ministering angels. They eat and ' drink ;—they propagate and multiply;—and they ' die ;—like men.'§-Some of them are described as the offspring of Sammael, who is said to be a fallen seraph, the prince of the infernal host;—of other demons ;-of Adam, the father of all mankind;-of Cain;-and of other men. The rabbies have also provided them with mothers as well as fathers; and have specified the names of four females to whom they attribute this honour : Lilith, Eve our common parent, Naamah, and Agrath. From these fables I shall select as much

* Bereshith Rabba, s. 7. p. 9. c. 3. Jalkut, n. 12. p. 11. Zohar, p. 14. apud Bartoloc. tom. i. p. 299.

+ Taf Haarez, f. 9. c. 1. cit. in Stehelin, vol. ii. p. 106. Nachman in Pentateuch. apud Bartoloc. tom. i. p. 289. Nishmath Chajim, f. 117. c. 2. cit. in Stehelin, vol. ii. p. 106. Cod. Chagiga, c. 2. p. 16. apud Bartoloc. tom. i. Jalkut, sect. Ber. p. 26. Zohar, sec. Ber. p. 28. kabala, p. 83. Zohar, ad cap. 18. Levit. p. 5. 76.

p. 290.

Shalshal. Hakapud Bartoloc.

tom. i. p. 291-294. Talmud. Eruvin, f. 18. c. 2. Bereshith Rabba, f. 20. c. 2. Bechai in Legem, f. 6. c. 2. Menasseh Ben Israel, Nishmath Chajim, f. 114. c. 2. cit. in Stehelin, vol. ii. p. 107, 108.

as decency will permit of the story of Lilith; which may serve as a sufficient specimen of the rest.

When the blessed God created the first man, 'whom he formed alone, without a companion, he said, It is not good that the man should be alone: ' and therefore he created a woman also out of the ground, and named her Lilith. They immediately began to contend with each other for superiority. The man said: It behoves thee to be obedient; I am to rule over thee. The woman replied: 'We are on a perfect equality; for we were both 'formed out of the same earth. So neither would 'submit to the other. Lilith, seeing this, uttered 'the Shem-hamphorash,' that is, pronounced the name (7) Jehovah, and instantly flew away through the air. Adam then addressed himself 'to God, and said: Lord of the universe! the woman whom thou gavest me, has flown away 'from me. God immediately dispatched three

angels, Sennoi, Sansennoi, and Sammangeloph, 'to bring back the fugitive: he said to them: If 'she consent to return, well; but if not, you are 'to leave her, after declaring to her that a hundred ' of her children shall die every day. These angels 'then pursued her, and found her in the midst of 'the sea, in the mighty waters in which the Egyptians were to be afterwards destroyed. They 'made known to her the divine message, but she refused to return. They threatened, unless she 'would return, to drown her in the sea. She then 'said: Let me go; for I was created for no other purpose than to debilitate and destroy young 'infants; my power over the males will extend to

eight days, and over the females to twenty days, after their birth. On hearing this, the angels were proceeding to seize her and carry her back to Adam by force: but Lilith swore by the name of the living God, that she would refrain from doing any injury to infants, wherever and when'ever she should find those angels, or their names, or their pictures, on parchment or paper, or on 'whatever else they might be written or drawn: ' and she consented to the punishment denounced against her by God, that a hundred of her chil'dren should die every day. Hence it is that every day witnesses the death of a hundred young ⚫ demons of her progeny. And for this reason we ' write the names of these angels on slips of paper ' or parchment, and bind them upon infants, that Lilith, on seeing them, may remember her oath, ' and may abstain from doing our infants any injury.'*-Another rabbinical writer says:

4

6

'I

have also heard that when the child laughs in its sleep in, the night of the sabbath or of the new 'moon, the Lilith laughs and toys with it; and 'that it is proper for the father, or mother, or any 'one that sees the infant laugh, to tap it on the nose, and say, Hence, begone, cursed Lilith; for

6

thy abode is not here. This should be said three

times, and each repetition should be accompanied 'with a pat on the nose. This is of great benefit, 'because it is in the power of Lilith to destroy 'children whenever she pleases.'†

* Ben Sira, p. 23. apud Bartoloc. tom. i. p. 69-71. Buxtorf. Synag. Jud. c. 4. p. 81–83.

+ Emek Hammelech, f. 84. c. 2. cit. in Stehelin, vol. ii. p. 113.

The rabbies represent the removal of men from the present life as effected by the agency of angels or demons, whom they denominate Angels of Death. The execution of the mortal sentence, on those who die in the land of Israel, is assigned to Gabriel, whom they style an angel of mercy; and those who die in other countries are dispatched by the hand of Sammael, the prince of demons. 'These 'two are deputies of Metatron, to whom God daily makes known those who are appointed to 'die. These deputies do not themselves bring away any souls out of the world; but each of 'them employs some of his host for that purpose.' -The title of angel of death, however, is most commonly given to Sammael; but several of the rabbies confidently assert that he has no power over the Jews: God himself is represented as saying to him, 'The world is in thy power, except 'this people. I have given thee authority to root ' out the idolaters; but over this people I have given thee no power.'*

Menasseh Ben Israel tells us: The Mishnic 'doctors have said, that there are three sorts of 'demons: the first, resembling ministering angels; 'the second resembling the children of men; and the third, like the cattle.'-Of the first class he says: 'There are those among them, who are 'wise in the law, both written and oral.'†

*Taf Haarez, f. 16. c. 3. f, 31. c. 4. Jalkut Chadash, f. 31. c. 3, 4. Vajikra Rabba, f. 151. c. 1. Bamidbar Rabba, f. 219. c. 1. Menachem Recanatens. f. 120. c. 3. Jalkut Reubeni, f. 189. c. 2. ibid.

p. 213-215.

+ Nishmath Chajim, f. 114. c. 1. ibid. p. 115, 116.

Some demons are described as having no power to do any great mischief, but as delighting themselves with hoaxing men by various waggish tricks. Others are represented as polluting fountains and streams of water; others, as afflicting mankind with sudden and grievous distempers; and others, as doing various injuries to human beings while asleep.*

On the divine command to Noah, to "bring "into the ark of every living thing of all flesh, "two of every sort, to keep them alive," one of the oracles of the synagogue says: Our rabbies ' of blessed memory have explained it so, that

even the demons were comprehended among 'them, and that the blessed God commanded 'Noah to suffer them to enter the ark; and this explanation is right. The same rabbi says: The preservation of the demons consists in the harmony of the elements of which they are composed, and their death in the division thereof.'Another authority says: There will none of the powers of uncleanness perish; but they will all 'be purified and made holy.'+

This brief sketch of traditions concerning demons shall be concluded with an extract from the Talmud. If the eye had been capable of dis'cerning, no man could subsist on account of the

* Emek Hammelech, f. 130. c. 1. c. 2. Nishmath Chajim, f. 142. c. 2. f. 29. 387. ibid. p. 117, 118. 128, 129.

Talmud. Tract. Cholin, f. 105. Jalkut Reubeni, n. 7. Zohar, 132.

+ R. Bechai in Legem, f. 18. c. I. f. 139. c. 4. Jalkut Chadash, f. 66. c. I. f. 184. c. 1. ibid. p. 133. 139.

Berachoth, f. 6. c. 1. cit. in Stehelin, vol. ii. p. 123.