"All through the night he was lost in spells and incantations, and at dawn the malign spirit in possession of the girl transferred itself to a medium. Assisted now by his favorite disciple, the bishop tried all manner of spells toward identifying the source of the trouble; and finally the spirit, hidden for so long, was forced to announce itself. 'You think it is this I have come for?' it shouted. 'No, no. I was once a monk myself, and I obeyed all the rules; but I took away a grudge that kept me tied to the world, and I wandered here and wandered there, and found a house full of beautiful girls. One of them died, and this one wanted to die too. She said so, every day and every night. I saw my chance and took hold of her one dark night when she was alone. But Our Lady of Hatsuse was on her side through it all, and now I have lost out to His Reverance. I shall leave you.' 'Who is that addresses us?' But the medium was tiring rapidly and no more information was forthcoming."
Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji (10th Century).
Translated by Edward G. Seidensticker.
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