Cardan fancied he heard, about the time of his son's execution, was the result of the agitation of his mind, distracted with grief and terror. Beaumont's perception of sounds consisted chiefly in the tolling of bells, of different sizes, with occasional addresses from the spirits. It is singular, that he never suspected himself to labour under the disease of. Corybantism, as it has been termed, though he describes it, as applied to others.

The most remarkable instance of this kind, is the story of Quarrè, as quoted by Morhoff; but the proof of its accu racy is defective. Philebert de la Mare, in his life of Guion, takes occasion to introduce the story.

During the French civil wars, Quarreus, or Quarrè, and other magistrates of

* Poly histor. Literar. Lib. i. Cap. 19. 9. Tom i. p. 217.

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the royal party, were obliged to quit Dijon, and remove to Saumur. In the month of August, 1594, about two o'clock in the morning, Quarrè was awakened by a sudden shock, and heard some unknown words pronounced, awaked his servant, who lay in the room, and ordered him to strike a light, that he might write down the words, which he continued muttering to himself, lest he should forget them. Having written them, according to the sound, they ran thus: Oug aposondes ton endon distiguion. Neither himself nor the servant could imagine what the language was, Quarrè being entirely ignorant of Greek. Early in the morning, he met with Guion, on his way to the court, and asked him to interpret the words. Guion knew them to be Greek, and that they ought to be writ

ten,

Ουκ απώσῶντες τῶν ἐνδον δυςτυχίων :

And he added the translation: Non repulsuri, quod intus infortunium.

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In attempting to unriddle the meaning of this mystical warning, Guion advised Quarrè to leave the house where he lodged in Saumur, the unwholesome air of which had occasioned him several

attacks of the cholic. But eight days afterwards, the prediction was fulfilled. Quarrè went, on public business, to Flavignac, and during his absence, the house fell down in the night, and crushed its inhabitants to death. Guion is said to have written a poem on the escape of his friend. This story rests, I believe, on the unsupported assertion of La Mare. If it be authentic, it seems to belong to the class of dreams.

On the same principles we must explain the apparitions recorded by VINCENTIUS, in the SPECULUM HISTORIÆ, and extracted from him by WOLFIUS, in his LECTIONES MEMORABILES ET RECONDITE, particularly the appearance of Pope Benedict to the Bishop of

Capua. "Idem lib. 25. Damianus re"fert: Episcopus, inquit, quidam Capu"anus vidit Benedictum majorem Papam sibi olim familiarem, nigro, quasi "corporabiter, equo insidentem: (vide quam conveniant scripturæ Apoc. 6 "cum historiis) at is territus ea visione "dicebat: Heus tu, nonne es Papa

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Benedictus, quem jam defunetum no"vimus? Ego sum, inquit, infelix iste. "Quomodo, inquit, est tibi, pater? "Graviter, inquit, torqueor, sed de Dei "misericordia non dispero, si mihi ad'jutorium præbeatur, quia juvari pos"sum sed perge, quæso, ad fratrem "meum Joannem, qui nunc sedem apos"tolicam occupat, eique de mea parte dic, ut illam summam, quæ potissimé in "tali theca reposita est, in pauperes dis "tribuat: sicque me redimendum esse quandocumque, cum hoc divina mise"ratio decreverit, cognoscat, nam cætera quæ pro me indigentibus tradita sunt, "nihil, mihi penitus profuerint eo, quod

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"de rapinis et injustitis acquisita sunt. "His auditis, Episcopus Romam impi

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ger adiit, et Joanni Papæ (cui et ipse "apparuit ille Benedictus 9. precans "idem, et dicens, O utinam Odilo Clu"niacensis pro me rogaret!) fratris verba "narravit, et episcopatum mox deposuit, "et monachatum induit."

Lection. Memorab. et zecondit. T. i. p. 530.

My observations on this subject may be strengthened, by observing the great prevalence of spectral delusions, during the inter-regnum, in this country, after the civil war, in 1649. The melancholic tendency of the rigid puritans of that period; their occupancy of old family seats, formerly the residence of hospitality and good cheer, which in their hands became desolate and gloomy; and the dismal stories propagated by the discarded retainers to the ancient establishments, ecclesiastical and civil, contributed altogether to produce a national