342 Notes on the Border of Wilts and HanU. 



called "The Haunted House/' which, was acted at the London 

 theatres, in which he introduced aome of the circumstances ; but it 

 was a Mr. Joseph Grlanville, Rector of Bath, who published the his- 

 tory of it at full length in a book called " Sadducismus Triumphatus."" 

 The outline of the story is this. In the year 1661, the reign of 

 King Charles II., Mr. John Mompesson, of Tidworth, was an officer 

 in the militia. Being at Ludgershall one day in the month of 

 March, he heard a drum beating in the street. With the ear of a 

 soldier he naturally asked what was going on. He was told by the 

 gentleman of the town at whose house he was staying, that for some 

 days they had been annoyed by an idle fellow who had gone about 

 beating a drum and asking for money. Mr. Mompesson examined 

 the man, and, finding him to be an impostor, took possession of the 

 drum, and put the drummer into the hands of a constable. This 

 official was one of the Dogberry school, whose orders were, when 

 they got hold of a villain who shewed a strong dislike to being 

 taken, " to let him go, and thank God you are rid of a knave/'' The 

 Ludgershall policeman of 1661 did accordingly: so the drummer 

 made his escape. But Mr. Mompesson did not let the drum go. 

 He kept that unlucky valuable : and it was the cause to him and 

 his of all the trouble that ensued. Presently strange noises began 

 to be heard in the house at Tidworth, like the thumping of a drum : 

 Mr. Mompesson got out his pistols, searched about, could find 

 nothing or nobody. The noise would be repeated for several nights 

 together : then for several be silent. The beds began to be shaken : 

 and the windows to rattle, even in Mr. Mompesson's own room. 

 The children heard noises under their beds, like scratchings with 

 claws. They were removed to a garret : the noises followed them. 

 Shoes were thrown over their heads. The servants had their hair 

 pulled. Violent knock ings, loud enough to alarm the neighbours : 

 sounds like jingling of money. Then there was a scuffle between 

 John, the steady old family servant, and somebody invisible : some- 

 times the invisible got the worst of it; sometimes John. There 

 were other varieties of noise : a rattling of chains, a rustling of silk, 

 sometimes a singing in the chimney ; now and then a blue light, 

 flitting up and down stairs : the children saw it also in their chamber. 



