their affociate. As he lived in the adjoining house, a particular friend went himself to enquire for him, and returned with the dismal tidings that he could not poffibly furvive the night. This threw a gloom on the company, and all efforts to turn the conversation from the fad fubject before them were ineffectual.

About midnight, (the time, by long prescription, appropriated for the walking of spectres) the door opened—and the Form, in white, of the dying, or rather of the dead man, walked into the room, and took his feat in the accustomed chair-there he remained in filence, and in filence was he gazed at. The apparition continued a fufficient time in the chair to affure all prefent of the reality of the vision; at length, he arose and stalked towards the door, which he opened, as if living-went out, and then shut the door after him.

After a long paufe, fome one at last had the refolution to fay, " if only one of us had feen this, he would not have been believed, but it is impoffible that fo perfons can be deceived."

many

The company, by degrees, recovered their speech; and the whole conversation, as may be imagined, was upon the dreadful object which had engaged their attention. They broke up, and went home.

In the morning, enquiry was made after their fick friend-it was answered by an account of his death, which happened nearly at the time of his appearing in the club. There could be little doubt before, but now nothing could be more certain than the reality of the apparition, which had been seen by fo many perfons together.

It is needless to say, that fuch a story fpread over the country, and found credit

even from infidels: for in this cafe, all reafoning became fuperfluous, when oppofed to a plain fact attefted by three and twenty witneffes. To affert the doctrine of the fixed laws of nature was ridiculous, when there were fo many people of credit to prove that they might be unfixed.

Years rolled on-the story ceased to engage attention, and it was forgotten, unless when occafionally produced to filence an unbeliever.

One of the club was an apothecary. In the course of his practice he was called to an old woman, whofe profeffion was attending on fick perfons. She told him, that he could leave the world with a quiet confcience but for one thing which lay on her mind-“ Do you not "remember Mr. *** whofe Ghoft has "been fo much talked of? I was his "nurfe. The night he died I left the

"room for fomething I wanted—I am "fure I had not been abfent long; but "at my return I found the bed without

my patient. He was delirious, and I "feared that he had thrown himself out "of the window. I was fo frighted "that I had no power no stir; but after "fome time, to my great aftonishment, " he entered the room shivering, and his "teeth chattering-laid down on the "bed, and died. Confidering myself as "the cause of his death, I kept this a "fecret, for fear of what might be done "to me. Tho' I could contradict all the

story of the Ghost, I dared not to do "it. I knew by what had happened "that it was he himself who had been "in the club-room (perhaps recollecting "that it was the night of meeting) but "I hope God, and the poor gentleman's "friends will forgive me, and I shall die " contented!"

On

On Gentlemen-Artifts.

To attain excellence in the arts is the lot of very few profeffors, who have spent their lives in the pursuit.

Gainsborough, after a close application to painting for fifty years, faid on his death-bed-" I am but just beginning to do fomething, and my life is gone!" I could repeat expreffions of architects, fculptors, and musicians, grown old in the study of their profeffions, to the fame purpose; from whence we may conclude, that the ufual term of the duration of our faculties, is not fufficient to attain that perfection to which genius aspires.

This truth being admitted, for it cannot be denied, what shall we fay to those Q3 peremptory