Pow-Wows, or Long Lost Friend, by John George Hoffman, [1820], at sacred-texts.com
A SAFE AND APPROVED MEANS TO BE APPLIED IN CASES OF FIRE AND PESTILENCE.
Welcome, thou fiery fiend! do not extend further than thou already hast. This I count unto thee as a repentant act, in the name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
I command unto thee, fire, by the power of God, which createth and worketh everything, that thou now do cease, and not extend any further as certainly as Christ was standing on the Jordan's stormy banks, being baptized by John the holy man.
This I count unto thee as a repentant act in the name of the holy Trinity.
I command unto thee, fire, by the power of God, now to abate thy flames; as certainly as Mary retained her virginity before all ladies who retained theirs, so chaste and pure; therefore, fire, cease thy wrath.
This I count unto thee as a repentant act in the name of the holy Trinity.
I command unto thee, fire, to abate thy heat, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which he has shed for us, and our sins and transgressions.
This I count unto thee, fire, as a repentant act, in the name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Jesus of Nazareth, a king of the Jews, help us from this dangerous fire, and guard this land and its bounds from all epidemic disease and pestilence.
REMARKS.-This has been discovered by a Christian Gypsy
King of Egypt. Anno 1740, on the 10th of June, six gypsies were executed on the gallows in the kingdom of Prussia. The seventh of their party was a man of eighty years of age and was to be executed by the sword on the 16th of the same month. But fortunately for him, quite unexpectedly, a conflagration broke out, and the old Gypsy was taken to the fire to try his arts, which he successfully did to the great surprise of all present, by bespeaking the conflagration in a manner that it wholly or entirely ceased and disappeared in less than ten minutes. Upon this, the proof having been given in daytime, he received pardon and was set at liberty. This was confirmed and attested by the government of the King of Prussia, and the General Superintendent at Kœnigsberg, and given to the public in print. It was first published at Kœnigsberg in Prussia, by Alexander Bausman, Anno 1745.
Whoever has this letter fin his house will be free from all danger of fire, as well as from lightning. If a pregnant woman carries this letter about her, neither enchantment nor evil spirits can injure her or heir child. Further, if anybody has this letter in his house, or carries it about his person, he will be safe from the injuries of pestilence.
While saying these sentences, one must pass three times around the fire. This has availed in all instances.