CAUSES OF APPARITIONS. 



177 



greater safety, and lights burning by them, the 

 candles in an instant went out with a sulphurous 

 smell, and that moment many trenchers of wood 

 were hurled about the room, which next morning 

 were found to be the same their honours had 

 eaten out of the day before, which were all remov 

 ed from the pantry, though not 9 lock was found 

 opened in the whole house. The next night they 

 fared still worse ; the candles went out as before, 

 the curtains of their honours beds were rattled to 

 and fro with great violence, they received many 

 cruel blows and bruises by eight great pewter 

 dishes, and a number of wooden trenchers being 

 thrown on their beds, which, being heaved off, 

 were heard rolling about the room, though in the 

 morning none of these were to be seen. 



The next night the keeper of the king s house 

 and his dog lay in the commissioners room, and 

 then they had no disturbance. But on the night 

 of the 22d, though the dog lay in the room as be 

 fore, yet the candles went out, a number of brick 

 bats fell from the chimney into the room, the 

 dog howled piteously, their bed-clothes were all 

 stripped off, and their terror increased. On the 

 24th they thought all the wood of the king s oak 

 was violently thrown down by their bed-sides ; 

 they counted 64 billets that fell, and some hit 

 and shook the beds in which they lay ; but in the 

 morning none was found there, nor had the door 

 been opened where (he billet-wood was kept. 

 The next night the candles were put out, the 

 curtains rattled, and a dreadful crack like thun 

 der was heard ; and one of the servants running in 

 haste, thinking his master was killed, found 

 three dozen of trenchers laid smoothly under the 

 quilt by him. But all this was nothing to what 

 succeeded afterwards. The 29th, about mid 

 night, the candles went out, something walked 

 majestically through the room, and opened and 

 shut the windows ; great stones were thrown 

 violently into the room, some of which fell on 

 the beds, others on the floor ; and at about a 

 quarter after one, a noise was heard as of forty 

 cannon discharged together, and again repeated at 

 about eight minutes interval. This alarmed and 

 raised all the neighbourhood, who coming into 

 their honours room, gathered up the great stones, 

 fourscore in number, and laid them by in the 

 corner of a field, where, in Dr. Plot s time, they 

 were to be seen. This noise, like the discharge 

 of cannon, was heard over the country for several 

 miles round. During these noises the commis 

 sioners and their servants gave one another over 

 for lost and cried out for help; and Giles Sharp, 

 snatching up a sword, had well nigh killed one 

 of their honours, mistaking him for the spirit, as 

 he came in his shirt from his own room to theirs. 

 While they were together the noise was continu 

 ed, and part of the tiling of the house was strip 

 ped off, and all the windows of an upper room 

 were taken away with it. On the 30th, at mid 

 night, something walked into the chamber tread 



ing like a bear ; it walked many times about, 

 then threw the warming-pan violently on the 

 floor ; at the same time a large quantity of broken 

 glass, accompanied with great stones and horse 

 bones, came pouring into the room with uncom 

 mon force. On the 1st of November the mosi 

 dreadful scene of all ensued. Candles in every 

 part of the room were lighted up, and a great fire 

 made; at midnight, the candles all yet burning, a 

 noise like the bursting of a cannon was heard in 

 the room, and the burning billets were tossed 

 about by it even into their honours beds, who 

 called Giles and his companions to their relief, 

 otherwise the house had been burnt to the ground ; 

 about an hour after, the candles went out as 

 usual, the crack as of many cannon was heard, 

 and many pailfuls of green stinking water were 

 thrown upon their honours beds, great stones 

 were also thrown in as before, the bed-curtains 

 and bedsteads torn and broken, the windows 

 shattered, and the whole neighbourhood alarmed 

 with the most dreadful noises ; nay, the very rab- 

 bit-stealers, that were abroad that night in the 

 warren, were so terrified, that they fled for fear, 

 and left their ferrets behind them. One of their 

 honours this night spoke, and, in the name of 

 God, asked what it was, and why it disturbed 

 them so ? No answer was given to this ; but 

 the noise ceased for a while, when the spirit 

 came again; and, as they all agreed, brought 

 with it seven devils worse than itself. One of the 

 servants now lighted a large candle, and set it in 

 the doorway between the two chambers, to see 

 what passed ; and as he watched it, he plainly 

 saw a hoof striking the candle and candlestick 

 into the middle of the room, and afterwards, 

 making three scrapes over the snuff, scraped it 

 out. Upon this the same person was so bold as 

 to draw a sword, but he had scarce got it out 

 when he felt another invisible hand holding it 

 too, and pulling it from him, and at length pre 

 vailing, struck him so violently on the head with 

 the pummel, that he fell down for dead with the 

 blow. At this instant was heard another burst 

 like the discharge of the broadside of a ship of 

 war, and at the interval of a minute or two be 

 tween each, no less than 19 such discharges. 

 These shook the house so violently that they ex 

 pected every moment it would fall upon their 

 heads. The neighbours being all alarmed, flock 

 ed to the house in great numbers, and all joined 

 in prayer and psalm-singing; during which the 

 noise continued in the other rooms, and the dis 

 charge of cannons was heard as from without, 

 though no visible agent was seen to discharge 

 them. But what was the most alarming of all, 

 and put an end to their proceedings effectually, 

 happened the next day, as they were all at dinner, 

 when a paper, in which they had signed a mu 

 tual agreement to reserve a part of the premises 

 out of the general survey, and afterwards to share 

 it equally vnong themselves, I which paper they 



