something like an air of mystery on the circumstances attending the Earl's death. About two months after this conversation, the servants being all retired to their apartments, together with the Earl and his countess, the night being clear and frosty, the Earl absorbed in thought, was sitting by his bed room window some time after his lady was asleep. On turning to go to his bed, in a distant corner of the room, he beheld, to his mingled terror and amazement, a figure, dressed in a shabby suit of soldier's clothes. In a low voice it exclaimed, "Earl Harold! Earl Harold! follow;" and motioned to go. The Earl, overcome with fear, hid his face in his mantle; at length heartily ashamed of his pusillanimity, he ventured to look up; but the figure was gone. All the ghostly legends of his youth crowding on his memory, he hastily undressed, got into bed, and courted sleep; but it was banished from his couch. In the morning he rose feverish and unrefreshed; but, to the repeated interrogations of his Countess, he answered that nothing ailed him. The next night, he again saw the mystic appearance; it repeated the former words, but receiving no answer, again disappeared. He instantly awoke the Countess, and abruply asked, if she had seen anything? On her answering in the negative, he informed her the cause of his terror, on hearing which she was equally alarmed, but could suggest no plan to discover the cause of the anxieties. A few nights afterwards, they both beheld the same appearance. With considerable asperity, it repeated its former mandate; the terrified couple unable to answer, remained still; and, after a few moments, it again disappeared. On the Countess's suggestion, that perhaps it might be merely a trick, they both searched minutely the wainscot, but could find no entrance; they were now convinced that it was supernatural, and their terrors increased. Still they mentioned not a syllable to the servants, except one; who offered to sit up in that room by himself, and report accordingly. Having fortified himself with a bumper of brandy, he entered the room, while the Earl and Countess remained below in anxious expectation. In half an hour he ran

"An' wha ma'

down stairs, breathless, with terror on his countenance, exclaiming "Oh my Lord! I've seen it; it was fifteen feet high! large saucer eyes, and was gulphing flames of blue fire!" The poor fellow sunk fainting on the floor; when he recovered, he persisted in his account, and swore he would never again enter the cursed room. They spent the night in another chamber, and rose in the morning seriously indisposed, from terror and want of rest. At last, the Earl determined to go up to London, and acquaint the king; knowing him to be curious in such matters, in order to request his advice. Accordingly he set out that day, attended by a splendid retinue for London. His rank and splendid attendance, insured him an immediate admission to the king. He found James whistling a favourite Scotch air, at the same time playing with a favourite mastiff. Bending his knee, he addressed the monarch, saying, "Earl Harold presents his duty to his sovereign." ye be?" said the king. "Your gracious majesty's liege subject, John, Earl Harold, of Northumberland." "Weel mon, rise: how goes game in your country, whilk is scarce wi' us?" Having respectfully satisfied his curiosity, he continued, "that impressed with a sense of his majesty's great wisdom in abstruse affairs, he made bold to request his advice on an affair of great moment." "Bide a wee! bide a wee!" suddenly exclaimed the king, who was looking through the window,—" Bide a wee, an' I'll ma' be hear ye; but there's Somerset's mon, wi' some braw game, an' I just want to tell the cuik how I'll ha' it dress'd." On his return, the Earl, after stating the first appearance of the figure, proceeded, "and it was dressed in a suit of shabby soldier's clothes." "Hold awee! hold awee!" hastily interrupted the sportive king,-"Mind ye, Harold, mind ye, a soldier's a sworn servant o' mine, so ye suldna say shabby soldiers, whilk, d'ye see is insulting me, but shabby suit o' soldiers claes." The Earl bowed, and proceeded till he finished. The king, after a little thoughtfulness, suddenly interrogated Harold, "Didna ye say i' the name of the Father, Sune, an' Holy

Ghaist, what ma' ye want?" The Earl answered in the negative, that fear prevented him. "Tut, man!" said James, "what suld ye be feared o'? However, ha' no ye seen our Treatise on Dæmonology? its cost ourselves mickle labour and deep thought i' the making out; maybe ye'll fin summat that will answer your case." "Please your majesty," answered the Earl, "I have not seen it." "Weel ye soon shall! Charlie! (calling his page,) Charlie! ye ken a mickle buik, that's standing anent our royal bed room; ye'll bring it to us." Charlie soon returned with the book in question, which, James presented to the Earl, saying "Gang awa hame, Harold, and I didna doubt that ye'll fin' in that buik, what will teach you how to manage this dreadfu' ghaist." The Earl kissed hands and departed; the king adding, "if ye didna find aught to suit ye in that buik, and the ghaist appears again, ye'll set out for London and tell me."

When the Earl arrived at Claronville, to his extreme vexation, he found the affair noised all over the castle; and, on enquiry, he found, that the fellow who had been so much terrified, was the author of the report; which was confirmed beyond a doubt in the eyes of the servants, by the positive refusal of the Countess to sleep in the chamber in question. Consequently, no one since the Earl's departure, had witnessed the nightly visits of the Mystic Messenger. Peace was banished from the castle; for, in those days, the minds of the lower orders being grossly uncultivated, save in ghostly legends, the servants found in every casual occurrence, so many confirmations of their terrors. Every lamp burnt with a blue flame, every fire shot out coffins; each sigh of the wind was changed into groans, and every distant noise was the treading of the ghost. The Earl carefully perused the treatise of James, but found no resolution of the cause of his fears. His solemn conjectures on spiritual visitations, and demoniacal influence, with his ghostly admonitions to wizards, witches, &c. rather enhanced, than removed his superstitions. However, he resolved once more to sleep in the

room; and, should it appear without his summoning sufficient resolution to question it, to return and seek the farther advice of James. Accordingly, at night, he secretly bent his way to the mysterious chamber, his Countess sleeping in another room, and the servants inwardly wondering at their master's boldness. Jacques, for certain reasons best known to that worthy servant, felt more terror, yet disguised it better than any of them. At the "witching hour" of midnight, the Earl, hearing a rustling noise, and turning to the usual place of its appearance (for one thing appeared singular to him, it always was stationed in one particular spot,) he again beheld his mysterious and unwelcome visiter. However, he was sufficiently composed to record that it spoke in a tone of anger, whilst repeating its mysterious mandate, "Harold! Harold! follow me." Unaccountable fear again sealed his lips, and closed his eyes. On opening them, -his mystic guest was gone. The Earl, exceedingly vexed, turned into bed, and, after a sleepless night, resolved to visit the king, and claim his promise. Accordingly in the morning, having summoned his domestics, he took leave of his Countess, leaving them involved in an undefinable terror of they knew not what. After a speedy journey, and the ceremony of introduction, he again found himself tête-àtête with James, and immediately commenced the subject in hand, mentioning the re-appearance of the mysterious intruder, and his perusal of the king's treatise, without obtaining the wished for satisfaction. As soon as he had mentioned this latter circumstance, the king, with a rueful length of visage exclaimed, "Deil take it, Harold, ha' yê read it a', from beginning till end ?” The Earl assured him he had most religiously perused the volume in question, from beginning to end. "Did ye na abjure the fallow ?" "No, your majesty." "Would he frighten one to look on? Is na his face ghastly and corpse like ?" The Earl replied, "he believed not, but he had not particularly noticed its countenance." "Weel then," said James, after a long silence, "D'ye sce, Harold, if I were sure it

wadna put me in bodily fear, whilk, d'ye see, is no ways pleasant, perhaps we'd gang down our royal selves wi' you." Harold rejoiced to hear his monarch speak thus; for he really had great confidence in the physical energies of the king, independent of the consideration of the singular condescension and honour done him. He immediately returned a shower of thanks to his sovereign, in which the words courage, learning, and generosity, were plentifully mingled. Well, it was settled that James should accompany the Earl to Claronville, disguised under the title of Earl Glennock. The king fixed the next day for the commencement of this spiritual adventure, and, concluding his absence would not extend to more than two days, merely mentioned to his lords, that he wished to travel incog. a short journey. On Thursday, September the 11th, 1616, the noble couple proceeded on their journey; and, though the conversation of James was no doubt interesting and amusing, we shall forbear noticing it here, and proceed to matters of more importance. When they arrived at the castle, James waived his distinction, and commanded the Earl to speak to him in the language of a friend to a friend; in which character he was introduced to the Countess, who was informed, that through curiosity, he would watch in the haunted chamber. After supper, the Countess retired, and the Earl proposed to his royal companion to enter on their adventure. James was very far from evincing his former readiness; however, to spare himself the appellation of a coward, he essayed to perform his part with a good grace, and, accordingly, walked, preceded by Harold, with great solemnity, to the chamber in question. They had not gone many paces when James, in something not very far from a downright fit of trembling, whispered to the Earl, "Deil take me, Harold, if I think God would let the awld ane come to plague good christians!" turning with an anxious look to the Earl, who, though inclined to be serious enough, could scarcely avoid laughing at the incipient terrors of James. He answered in the negative. “Weel,” he replied, "weel,

gang and bring a sword, and pistol, and the holy buik, each, and then watch for this ghaist;" attempting to smile, but with a countenance so rueful, that the Earl could scarcely refrain from real laughter. Having retraced their steps to the supper chamber, they obtained the above mentioned articles, and again, with anxious steps, bent their way to the mystic chamber. Eagerly they watched the hours, ten, eleven, twelve, flit away; just as the latter had finished chiming, with sullen roar, the Earl pointed to the fatal spot in silence, and they both viewed the floor, apparently open, and the figure slowly stood upright, and, approaching James with solemn step, let fall at his feet, a letter, sealed in black, directed to "His Gracious Majesty King James" and then as slowly retreated to its former place, and remained stationary. In the meantime, James sat at the table, the very picture of horror; his teeth chattering, and his knees knocking together. The letter remained unopened at his feet, till the voice of the Earl, recalling his scattered senses, urged him to take it up and read it. "Ah mon,' said James, in a low tone of voice," Wha would tak' ought to read fra' the evil ane? Bide awee; I'll tak' a soup of wine, and maybe I'll read it." The Earl waited till James had refreshed himself, he then took up the letter with a trembling hand, ever and anon casting a fearful glance on the mysterious figure before him, and with horror and amazement, read as follows:-

"Has your sacred majesty forgotten your ancient liege subject, Henry, Earl of Northumberland ?" The astonishment of James, at finding himself recognized, knew no bounds; especially when the person, who mysteriously stood before him, was his quondam friend and associate, the old Earl of Northumberland.. He instantly assumed the monarch, and, while he contemplated the figure, beheld it throw aside the cloak in which it was enveloped, and display to his astonished spectators, the fine majestic towering figure of the old Earl of Northumberland, reported to have fallen in the skirmish with the Welsh! His few grey hairs strayed gracefully over his wrinkled forehead,

and betokened the sorrow and distress to which he had been subjected. "Come forward," said the king, "and by touching our royal hand convince'us you're neither dead, nor a ghaist." The Earl, majestically stalked forward, did as was directed, and then walked to his astonished son, hastily saluted him, stood back, and exclaimed, "Follow immediately, or you are all lost." "Weel," said James," you wadna, I think, betray our sovereign majesty into the hands of ghaist, or other frightful beings; so we'll e'en follow you." He accordingly grasped a sword and pistol, as did the young Earl; and after being informed by their noble conductor, that their lives depended on their silence and cautiousness, both followed the Earl to a large trap door, through which he had entered, and carefully descended. They found themselves in darkness not "visible" when they reached the bottom. They were conducted silently along a narrow walk, and came to another flight of steps, which having descended led them into a kind of vault. Here their guide stopped them, and solemnly informed them, "whatever you see or hear, speak not a syllable; but when I point with my hand, silently rise and follow me back again, or we all perish." James, in an agony of terror, silently imploring his merciful father in heaven to tak' pity on him, leaned on the Earl's arm, and again they proceeded, till, at a distance, through an aperture in the wall, they saw a light, and heard the low murmur of voices. The Earl once more put his hand to his lips, and they proceeded to the spot, and anxiously listened. "When two o'clock strikes," said a voice, 66 we will all proceed along the vault and passage, to the Earl's bedchamber." "Yes," answered a voice which was instantly recognized as the villain Jacques's-"only the Earl is in his room, for he sees a ghost every night, he says; so we'll e'en fire at mortal and ghost." "Aye," responded the first voice, "Ferdillan's anger shall rest only when Northumberland is in the adjoining vault." The Earl gave the signal for retiring, which they instantly obeyed, and soon found themselves in the chamber which they had

quitted. After a short consultation, they settled on the following plan; they extinguished the light, drew the curtains round the bed, called up six of the men servants, and armed them. They then brought them into the chamber with their shoes off, and stationed them at proper distances round the wall, as the darkness would shade them. They were to approach behind each man who should come up to the bed, and seize and bind him, the moment they heard the report of a pistol, which they rightly enough conjectured would be fired by Ferdillan himself. The servants, by the king's own order, were not to proceed to extremities, except their own personal safety absolutely required it. Thus cautioned, they proceeded to their ambush, and remained in profound silence, till the clock struck two. In a few moments the trap door opened, and a man arose, with a dark lantern in his hand. Four others, masked and armed, followed him. They slowly proceeded to the bed and stood round it. The Earl's servants silently came from their ambush, and each took his station behind one of the assassins. Ferdillan drew aside the curtains, as did the rest, and all fixed their pistols into the bed. Instantly they were seized, thrown down, and firmly bound, back to back : the bell was rung, lights were called for, and the prisoners carried to the castle dungeons without having spoken a syllable; for horror, amazement and passion, choaked their utterance.

When they were safely secured, the Earl called for refreshments to be laid out, and then ordered the remainder of the household to bed. He shortly detailed to his anxious auditors, that, "after the before-mentioned skirmish with the Welsh, he was returning home, and had arrived, late at night, at the great gate of the castle, when he was suddenly seized by two men in masks, and, to gether with his servant, thrown from his horse. He immediately drew his sword and defended himself with despe ration; but was at last overpowered, and his servant killed on the spot. He was bound hand and foot, carried to a dungeon under the castle, and his victuals brought to him every day, and pushed through the iron grating, by the