SPECULATION ON GHOSTS. 427 



the memory of those who, strongly impressed with the truth of what 

 they asserted, felt bound to give credence to occurrences when aided 

 by the testimony of their own senses. 



My grandfather, who was a clergyman, and held a small living in 

 the county of Suffolk, was one of those upright, honest, and useful 

 members of the establishment who effected much good in a quiet 

 way. He was, moreover, one of your trustworthy men whose word 

 was his bond, and whose sturdy love for veracity displayed itself in 

 all that he said or did. His promise, once pledged, even to a beggar, 

 no moral power could induce him to forgo its redemption. There 

 was an old cow-leech who lived in the village ; of him and my grand- 

 father it was facetiously remarked, that they together told more 

 falsehoods than any other two persons in the parish. This was true, 

 nor was any one misled by this witticism, as every one knew my 

 grandsire too well to believe him capable of an untruth ; so on the 

 contrary, they were fully aware of old Chris. Crupper's ability in filling 

 up both their measures in that particular even to the overflowing. 



My grandfather had an elder brother, a substantial manufacturer, 

 of whom he ever spoke in the highest praise, and in a manner which 

 showed that his esteem arose no less from a consciousness of his per- 

 sonal merits as a man than his feelings as a brother. It was the habit 

 of my grandsire to visit us annually, or oftener, as his duties permitted 

 him. On one of these occasions he was accompanied by his brother, 

 who at that time lived at a distant part of the kingdom. He was an 

 elderly man, portly, and somewhat magisterial in his appearance, but 

 of gentle manners. I can just remember his person he wore a well- 

 powdered wig, with three tiers of curls, a Lord Townley-cut coat, 

 hugh flaps to his waistcoat-pocket, and a pair of immense silver 

 buckles in his shoes. As he sat after dinner in a cumbrous arm- 

 chair, enjoying the soothing influence of his pipe and tobacco, he 

 looked the very picture of honest old English luxury. I might, how- 

 ever, from lapse of time, when aided by no other technica memoria, 

 have forgotten both him and his appendages of wig, flap-pockets, 

 silver shoe-buckles, pipe, and ail, but for two circumstances; his havirig 

 presented me with a handsome silver watch, and his recital of a tale, 

 in which he was himself concerned when a young man, and which 

 for years afterwards was deeply engraven on my mind, on ac- 

 count of its mysterious development of a dark and diabolical trans- 

 action. Years, however, passed away, and my great uncle died, and 

 even the tale itself began to fade from my memory, and made me 

 sometimes fancy that as I was at the time it was related but a child ; 

 the whole might have been a mere fiction, and that I had jumbled it 

 up with some other tale of mystery, of which among nurses and do- 

 mestics there is no lack. It happened, however, the last visit my 

 grandfather (who lived to the verge of extreme old age, but is now 

 gathered to his fathers) paid us, the conversation taking a ghostly 

 turn, I reverted to the story which my uncle had many years ago 

 related whilst sitting after dinner in the very arm-chair then occupied 

 by my reverend ancestor, and requested the latter as far as his me- 

 mory would permit, to give a circumstantial detail of the whole 

 affair, which he did as follows : 



