quainted, in Egypt, with Pancrates, who had resided twenty years in the subterraneous recesses, where he had learned magic from Isis herself. "At length, "he persuaded me to leave all my "servants at Memphis, and to follow

him alone, telling me that we should "not be at a loss for servants. When "we came into any inn, he took a "wooden pin, latch or bolt, and wrapping it in some clothes, when he had "repeated a verse over it, he made it "walk, and appear a man to every one. "This creature went about, prepared

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supper, laid the cloth, and waited on "us very dextrously. Then, when we "had no further occasion for it, by repeating another verse, he turned it into a pin, latch or bolt again. He "refused to impart the secret of this "incantation to me, though very oblig"ing in every thing else. But having “hid myself, one day, in a dark corner, "I caught the first verse, which con

"his absence, I took the pin, drest it

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up, and repeating those syllables, or"dered it to fetch some water. When "it had brought a full jar, I cried, stop, "draw no more water, but be a pin

again. But instead of obeying me, "it went on bringing water, till it had "almost filled the house. I, not able to "endure this obstinacy, and fearing the "return of Pancrates, lest he should be

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displeased, seized a hatchet, and split "the pin into two pieces. But each "part, taking up a jar, ran to draw "more water, so that I had now two "servants in place of one. In the mean time, Pancrates returned, and under

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standing the matter, changed them "into wood again, as they were before "the incantation." We may fairly apply the Italian saying to this story; si non é vero, é ben trovato.

But there is ghostly authority for the division of a goblin, equal to most of Glanville's histories, though I cannot now recover, the names of the parties. The relation came to me, however, from a friend of one of the Seers.

Two elderly ladies, resided, each in her ancient castle, adjoining to the other, near the borders of Scotland. While they were beguiling a tedious winter evening, with accounts of their domestic policy, the conversation insensibly turned on the subject of their household ghosts: for at that time, every venerable old mansion had an established resident of that nature, who was as well known as the family-crest.

Every evening, said one of the Sybils, I perceive the bust of a man,

' in one of the rooms, which is distinctly

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visible, down to the girdle.

' And we,' cried the other dame, ⚫ have the rest of his person in our castle, which perambulates the house

every night; till this moment, I could

⚫ not imagine how the head and shoulders of the figure were disposed of.'

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I have thus presented to the reader, those facts which have afforded, to my own mind, a satisfactory explanation of such relations of spectral appearances, as cannot be refused credit, without removing all the limits and supports of human testimony. To disqualify the senses, or the veracity of those who witness unusual appearances, is the utmost tyranny of prejudice. Yet, who, till within the last fifteen years, would have dared to assert that stones fell from the clouds? Livy had regularly recorded such events, and was ridiculed for supplying those most curious facts, which must otherwise have been lost to natural history,

In like manner, I conceive that the unaffected accounts of spectral visions should engage the attention of the philosopher, as well as of the physician. Instead of regarding these stories with the horror of the vulgar, or the disdain of the sceptic, we should examine them accurately, and should ascertain their exact relation to the state of the brain, and of the external senses.

The terror of nocturnal illusions would thus be dissipated, to the infinite relief of many wretched creatures; and the appearance of a ghost would be regarded in its true light, as a symptom of bodily distemper, and of little more consequence than the head-ach and shivering attending a common catarrh.

There is reason to believe, that many persons suffer silently, from these imaginary visitations, who are deterred from divulging their distresses, by the ridicule