206 VISIT TO DENMARK [1799. 



looked after ; so my father and two or three more got 

 a light and went to the grave, at the bottom of which 

 lay the apparently dead body of Mr Calmel. He was 

 quickly transported to the prebend's dining-room, and 

 recovered out of his fainting-fit. As soon as he could 

 find his tongue, he said, " Well, I have won my wager, 

 and you'll find the nail in the coffin ; but, by Jove ! 

 the lady rose up, laid hold of me, and pulled me down 

 before I could scramble out of the grave." Calmel 

 stuck to his story in spite of all the scoffing of his 

 friends ; and the ghost of Mrs Nightingale would have 

 been all over the town, but for my father's obstinate 

 incredulity. Nothing would satisfy him but an 

 ocular inspection of the grave and coffin ; and so, 

 getting a light, he and some of the party returned to 

 the grave. There, sure enough, was the nail, well 

 driven into the coffin ; but hard fixed by it was a bit 

 of Mr Calmel's coat-tail ! So there was an end of Mrs 

 Nightingale's ghost. This grave afterwards became 

 remarkable for a very beautiful piece of sculpture, by 

 some celebrated artist, representing Mr Nightingale 

 vainly attempting to ward from his dying wife the 

 dart of death. My father always instanced this as 

 the best piece of monumental sculpture in the Abbey.* 

 After this long digression, it is time to return to my 

 journal.] 



Dec. 20. Up at six ; and after coffee which, as 

 usual, was served as tea and eg gold, a sort of caudle 



* The celebrated monument to Mrs Nightingale in Westminster 

 Abbey is understood to be the work of Roubilliac. 



