"women, they were of excellent stature, "and their dresses seemed very fine, but "covered all but their faces, with their light veils, whose skirts trailed largely "on on the floor. They entered in a file "one after the other, and in that posture "walked round the room, till the fore"most came, and stood by that side of "the bed where I lay (with my left “hand over the side of the bed; for my "head rested on that arm, and I deter"mined not to alter the posture in which "I was) she struck me upon that hand "with a blow that felt very soft, but I "did never remember whether it were "cold or hot: I demanded in the name "of the blessed Trinity, what business they had there, but received no answer; "then I spoke to Mr. C. Sir, do you "see what fair guests we have come to "visit us? before which they all disappeared: I found him in some kind "of agony, and was forced to grasp him "on the breast with my right hand 66 (which was next him underneath the bed-clothes) before I could obtain speech of him; then he told me that " he had seen the fair guests I spoke of, "and had heard me speak to them; but "withal said, that he was not able to 66 speak sooner unto me, being extremely affrighted at the sight of a dreadful "monster, which assuming a shape, be"twixt that of a lion and a bear, at 66 tempted to come upon the bed's foot. "I told him, I thanked God nothing so 66 frightful had presented itself to me; "but I hoped (through his assistance) "not to dread the ambages of hell. It "was a long time before I could com pose hiin to sleep, and though he had "had many disturbances in his own "room, and understood of others in the "house, yet he acknowledged he had "never been so terrified, during many "dinner he shewed to divers persons of principal quality, the mark that had "been occasioned on his breast by the 'gripe I was forced to give him, to get "him to speak, and related all the passages very exactly; after which he protested never to lie more in that room; upon which I set up a resolu❝tion to lodge in it again, not knowing "but something of the reason of those "troubles might by that means be im 66 66 parted to me. The next night, there"fore, I ordered a Bible, and another "book to be laid in the room, and "resolved to spend my time by the fire "in reading and contemplation, till I "found myself inclined to sleep and "accordingly having taken leave of the family at the usual hour, I addressed 66 66 66 myself to what I had proposed, not going into bed till past one in the morning a little after I was got into "bed, I heard somewhat walk about the 66 66 66 room, like a woman in a tabby gown trailing about the room; it made a mighty rushelling noise, but I could see nothing, though it was near as light as the night before: it passed by "the foot of the bed and a little opened "the curtains, and thence went to a "closet door on that side, through "which it found admittance, although "it was close locked: there it seemed "to groan, and draw a great chair with "its foot, in which it seemed to sit, and "turn over the leaves of a large folio ; " which you know make a loud clatter. 56 66 ing noise; so it continued in that pos"ture, sometimes groaning, sometimes dragging the chair, and clattering the "book till it was near day; afterwards "I lodged several times in this room, "but never met with any molestation." "This I can attest to be a true account "of what passed in that room the two |