that it would appear incredible to persons not accustomed to these subtle notices of self-observation what small and remote resemblances, what mere hints of likenesses from some real external object, (especially if the shape be aided by colour,) will suffice to make a vivid thought consubstantiate with the real object, and derive from it an outward perceptibility.”—“A lady once asked me if I believed in ghosts and apparitions. I answered, with truth and simplicity," No, madam; I have seen far too many myself. I have indeed a whole memorandum-book filled with records of these phenomena, many of them interesting as facts and data for psychology, and affording some valuable materials for a theory of perception, and its dependence on the memory `and imagination."The Friend, No. 8.

In the Ruminator" of Sir E. Brydges, also, there is a short essay, in which the same theory adopted by Coleridge and Ferriar is farther illustrated from actual experience. But whatever beauty and interest, as well as philosophical truth, there may be in this favourite system, the subject be comes, in my opinion, far more dignified and interesting when in the hands of those who believe, not merely in the reality of such illusions, as they appear to disordered senses, but in the supernatural and miraculous attributes of spectral visitations. And my chief object in this letter was to request your attention to such recollections as I can bring to mind of a real personage with whom in my youth I was well acquainted, and who will at least be allowed the advantage of singularity and oddity as recommendations.

The scenery of the country in which my friend resided had also such peculiarities that it remains strongly impressed on my remembrance; and I feel inclined to describe this in the first place, because I doubt

not it contributed greatly to the formation of his character. I seem to behold again, with the strength and vividness of reality, a district of Scotland with which I was well acquainted in early years. Vast mountains covered with dark heath, but thinly diversified with brushwood, and that almost never to be discovered but in rocky ravines concealed from common observers,-long tracks also of level ground, of which the surface, consisting only of heath and moss, presented a melancholy prospect, but above all, a dark and gloomy lake, on which it almost appeared as if the blue sky never smiled, and the sun never shone,-such were the prevailing characteristics of this region. The lake was of considerable extent. It was in one of the most remote and secluded parts of the Highlands, and surrounded by lofty mountains, which rose out of the water. In short, the scene had all the beauty which imagination can attach to the desolation of nature.

In this remarkable retirement lived a clergyman advanced in years, who, to many other singularities, added a decided belief in ghosts and apparitions, of which he had collected many anecdotes, and on the authenticity of which he firmly relied. It is unfortunate that I have not at present in my possession the written records of his own experiences in this way, and that at this moment I have a clear remembrance of only two of his favourite stories; and these are certainly not so wonderful and varied in their circumstances as I could wish. But their foundation in truth may perhaps, in the estimation of some readers. atone for the absence of that variety of incident which might be supplied by invention.

Most fortunate, indeed, would it be, if I could find sufficient proofs to establish the appearance, in modern times, of one single visitant of supernatural character. This I

"Often, in the stormy nights of autumn and of winter," said my venerable friend, "both by moonlight and even in darkness, I have been aware of the presence of an apparition wandering on the banks of the lake, and often seeming to rise out of its agitated waters. The first time I observed this appearance was many years ago, after I first came to reside here. It was on a tempestuous night, in the beginning of November. There had been heavy rains, and the wind blew from the south. The rain had ceased, and the moon broke forth; but ever and anon dense masses of cloud floated athwart the sky and obscured her splendour. In consequence of valetudinarian feelings, I had been always partial to mild weather. If there is a south wind, therefore, however tempestuous, I am always inclined to ramble, regardless of the danger of rain and inconvenience of wet roads. I wandered, therefore, along the banks of the lake. It was then for the first time that I beheld this apparition. It was that of a female form, possessing the attributes of elegance and grace, but with dishevelled hair, and moving with agitated and unsettled gestures. When I first observed this unexpected appearance, it was gliding amid the trees. Immediately I stood still and watched, and in a short time, as if in consequence of my attention, the same form attention, the same form slowly rose out of the water, directly betwixt me and the moon, which then broke through a cloud. It hovered for a considerable time on the surface of the water, and then approached nearer. I could discern its features, which were those of a lovely and elegant female, but had the paleness of death, without, however, any degree of distortion. On the contrary, her aspect was

on this graceful form appeared as if drenched by rain and beaten by the tempest. On her bosom I observed a jewel, in the form of a cross, which appeared to me to gleam with preternatural lustre. I have said that the form advanced nearer. In a short time it receded, floated over the lake and mingled with the mist and darkness of the night. The moon sunk under a cloud, and it was beheld no more.-Repeatedly (I am not sure how often,) since that time, I have observed the same apparition, but never but in agitated weather, when the waves of the lake rolled high, and the wind was loud amid the mountains. When I first beheld the phantom I knew nothing whatever of its history, nor have I understood that it has been visible to any one but myself alone. I have, however, since learned, that there was, about the year 1744, a young and beautiful girl, the daughter of an Eng. lish gentleman of fortune, who had also a residence in this neighbourhood to which he occasionally retired. There was here also the Laird of, a young person very different from the neighbouring landholders, for he had been bred in France, had received the best catholic educa tion at the College of Douay, and had, since his residence on his own property, shewn himself on different occasions not only to possess uncommon elegance of person and manner, but also very superior talents and acquirements. lents and acquirements. By some accidental circumstance, this dental circumstance, this young gentleman was introduced to the family of the young lady whom we have already mentioned. She was gifted not only with beauty, but a singularity of character and superiority of sensibility and genius such as can rarely be met with, and for the origin and developement of which it was difficult to account, as her nearest relations, though pos

of the most opposite character possible. A mutual attacliment was the consequence of their meeting. The relations, however, of the young lady were so violently incensed by this occurrence (as they had formed other plans of alliance) that they not only forbade every intercourse between the parties, but treated their victim with an excess of authoritative severity, to which she submitted with almost unexampled resignation and mildness. But, to cut a long story short, such were the consequences of this conduct, that the young Laird of betook himself in despair to join the forces of the Pretender, and, unfortunately, was soon after killed in a skirmish in one of the rocky ravines of the country. The saint-like resignation of his mistress did not save her from severe suffering, and her sorrow proved too great for a sensitive and delicate frame. Her understanding became utterly disordered; but the change was not perceived in sufficient time to induce her guardians to watch her actions. She wandered out one dark and stormy night in autumn, and was never more beheld among the living. It was supposed that she had accidentally fallen from a rock into the lake, and perished. I joined the consideration of this melancholy tale with that of the form I had beheld, and I can have no doubt that the apparition is that of the young person. Whether she had ever appeared to her unworthy parents I do not know. They soon after closed their lives miserably, being assuredly haunted by some secret source of uneasiness and sorrow."

I have read so many stories, Mr Editor, which resemble the preceding, in modern novels, that I am almost afraid of being censured for plagiarism. What I have set down, however, is verbatim what was related by my friend. And I have now to

shall not be accused of borrowing from any printed work, but may perhaps fall under the opposite imputation of telling what must appear too strange and absurd to have been credited by any person within the eighteenth century.

Mr. O. not only professed his faith in ghosts and spectres, but in sorcery and some descriptions of witchcraft. There was a solitary and mysterious person, of whom little or nothing was known farther than this, that he had established his abode at a secluded cavern among the mountains, was suffered to remain there by the proprietor of the lands, and was looked on with great terror by all the children, and indeed with considerable apprehension by several of the older inhabitants of the neighbourhood. Whether this person was, like the " Black Dwarf,” renowned in modern story, a man of rank and fortune in disguise, I am not prepared to decide. All that is absolutely relevant to the present question is the fact, that as no one exactly knew how this recluse continued to support himself, and as many people had puzzled their intellects very much on the subject, an imputation had, at first, perhaps, in jest, but afterwards in sober earnest, been fixed on him of being a sorcerer. Luckily for me, Mr Editor, in the present times my possession of the consecrated, or enchanted BERYL, already mentioned, is not, I trust, likely to draw on me the resentment or hatred of any one. If any rival connoisseur wishes particularly to obtain it, I shall have very little objection to relinquish my purchase for such compensation as may be deemed adequate to the resignation of a property involving the command of supernatural powers and knowledge of futurity. knowledge of futurity. But certain it is, that the possession of every variety of implements for incantations and the pursuit

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of occult science and unutterable deeds of darkness were said to be in the possession of this person. Many doubted, but some firmly believed, that he was gifted by the devil with talents for sorcery, and among the believers none was so firm and decided as my venerable friend. He had employed much application and sagacity in support of his tenets on this subject, and great powers of learning and research. That such powers were misapplied I have no hesitation in allowing; and I am afraid I shall hardly be thought excusable in reviving the memory of such notions in the present enlightened age. However, as I can solemnly aver my anecdotes to be authentic, perhaps they may be allowed, merely on that account, to be deserving of notice, and although the prejudices of Mr O. were merely halluci nations, yet they may be worthy of attention as psychological phenomena."

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I am not sure that my friend had any more favourite story than this, for, although there is no variety of incident, that which it contains must be allowed to be sufficiently uncommon. All my respected friend's excursions were pedes trian. Fearless, he braved all weathers and the longest journies. After devoting the day and the greater part of the night to conviviality at a great distance from his own home, instead of accepting the offer of a resting place till next morning, he would set out alone to cross the most desolate tracks of country, which he accomplished with a celerity that might almost have done honour to the sorcerer himself. On one of these occasions, hastening on. wards along a road which led across a wide, trackless, uninhabited moor, at a place where the road was long and straight before him, he beheld a figure advancing, which gradually emerged at a distance through the dusk of the twilight, (for, the

was

days being then long, it was not yet quite dark) the very sight of which apparition, he owned, struck him with a degree of aversion and horror which cannot be described. Accidentally, the conversation had that day turned on the solitary person accused of sorcery. By some unaccounta ble sympathy, my friend knew that the form which approached him was that of the mys terious personage alluded to; but he must be allowed to have had no slight cause for astonishment when his averment is repeated, that in stature the magician lenghtened out to the height of almost two ordinary men, with an increase of breadth in proportion; in short, a giant so monstrous never was beheld since the days when those personages attempted to rise in warfare against the heavens. To the objection that this extraordinary spectre might have been caused by haze of the at mosphere, Mr O. always solemnly declared, that the giant, instead of growing smaller as he came nearer, (as figures emerging from a fog from a fog always do) grew longer and more terrific. Having never, either before or since, been so much alarmed, (for both by nature and principle he was generally firm and brave) he determined to close his eyes on the object of his apprehension,-to walk straight forwards, arming himself with prayer, and trusting to the guidance of a supreme power. Accordingly, having put this expedient into execution, after he had walked onwards what he considered a suffi. cient distance blindfold, he had the satisfaction, on opening his eyes, of discovering that his plan had succeeded to his utmost wishes. The giant had passed him by, and was now receding from his observation as quickly as he had advanced.

I do not know, Mr Editor, how to apo. logize for the great length of this first communication. If I should by any means ob