zo6 The Natural Hijlory 



veral knocks (truck as it were with a cudgel, one of them before, 

 and the other after Morning-prayer, a little before dinner : which 

 Letter was (hewn by Mr. Wood fenior (as the other knockjngs be- 

 fore the deaths of any that dyed, were before-hand told) to fe- 

 veral neighboring Gentlemen. After which, within about four- 

 teen days, Mrs. Hefter JFiWafecond wife of Mr. 'Bafil Wood fe- 

 nior, and about a quarter of a year after, her Father Mr. Richard 

 Liffet, dyed both at Bampton ; fince which time they have heard 

 nothing more as yet. 



37. Amongft fuch unaccountable things as thefe, we may 

 reckon the ftrange paffages that happened at Woodftock.\n Anno 

 1 649. in the Manor-houk there, when the Commifiioners for fur- 

 veying the Manor-houfe, Park., Deer, Woods, and other the Ve- 

 meajnes belonging to that Manor, fat and lodged there : whereof 

 having feveral relations put into my hands, and one of them 

 written by a learned and faithful perfon then living upon the 

 place, which being confirmed to me by feveral eye-witneffes of 

 many of the particulars , and all of them by one of the Ccmmif- 

 fioners themfelves, who ingenioufly confeftto me, that he could 

 not deny but what was written by that perfon above-mention'd 

 was all true ; I was prevailed on at laft to make the relation pub- 

 lick (though I muft confefs I have no efteem for fuch kind offto- 

 ries, many of them noqueftion being performed by combinati- 

 on) which I have taken care to do as fully, yet as briefly as 

 may be. 



38. October the 13. 1649. the Commiffioners with their fer- 

 vants being come to the Manor-houfe, they took up their Lodging 

 in the Kings own rooms, the Bed-chamber and with- drawing Room; 

 the former whereof they alfo made their Kitchin ; the Council- 

 hall, their brevp-houfe ; theChamber of Prejence, their place of fit- 

 ting todifpatch bufinefs ; and a wood-houfe of the Dining-room , 

 where they laid the wood of that ancient Standard in the high- 

 Park-, known of all by the name of the Kings Oak., which (that 

 nothing might remain that had the name of King affixed to it) 

 they digged up by the roots. October the 14 and 15 they had lit- 

 tle difturbance, butonthe 16 there came as they thought, fom- 

 what into the Bed-chamber where two of the Commiffioners and 

 their fervantshy, in the fhape of a dog, which going under their 

 beds, did as it were gnaw the bed-cords ; but on the morrow 



finding 



