Shocked at the oppression which he witnessed; but wholly ignorant of the cause-alarmed-hurried-supposing her to be suffering from the paroxysm of some violent and sudden indisposition,-Mr. called to entreat the assistance of her sister. The figure in the naval uniform was now immediately before them. The eyes of the lady were fixed upon him, with a gaze of silent and motionless surprise, and a painful intensity of feeling her lips were colourless and apart; and her breath passed heavily from the full and over-burthened heart. The form was close upon them. It approached her side-it paused but for an instant-as quick as thought, a low, and scarcely audible, voice whispered in her ear "There is a future state;" and the figure moved onward through the retiring aisle of the minster. The father of the lady arrived to the assistance of his daughter; and Mr. -, consigning her to his protection, hastened in pursuit of the mysterious visitor. He searched on every side: no such form was to be seen in the long perspective of the path by which the ill-omened stranger had departed. He listened with the most earnest attentiveness; no sound of retreating footsteps was to be heard on the echoing pavement of the cathedral. Baffled in his attempt to discover the object whose presence had thus disturbed the tranquillity of the time, Mr. — re-sought his friends. The lady was weeping on the shoulder of her father. She avoided every inquiry respecting the cause, the seat, and the nature of her illness: "It was slight: it was transient it would immediately be over." She entreated the party to continue their examination of the building, and to leave her again to the protection of her former companion. The request was granted. And no sooner had she thus possessed herself of an opportunity of con

fidential communication, than she implored him, with a quick and agitated voice, to conceal for a little while, the occurrence of which he had been a witness. "We shall never be believed: besides, it were right that my poor dear father should be gradually prepared for the misery that he is destined to undergo. I have seen the spirit, and I have heard the voice, of a brother, who exists no longer-he has died at sea. We had agreed that the one who died the first, should re-appear to the survivor, if it were possible-to clear up, or to confirm, doubts which existed in both our minds."

In due time, the account of the event occurred in completion of the spiritual intimation.-The brother was indeed no more-his death had happened on the very day and hour, in which his form was seen by Mr. his sister, in the north aisle of York cathedral.

and

The second tale is again one of that very ordinary kind, which refers to the spiritual appearance of the dying to some distant friend, at the moment of the soul's departure from the body.

The Rev. Mr. Hunt, the author of the late admirable translation of the Jerusalem Delivered, was in his childhood, the particular favourite of his mother's brother. The fondness of the uncle won upon the gentle nature of the boy and they were mutually attached with a tenderness of affection, which is not often witnessed between the aged and the young. The child was sent to school; but absence did not impair the recollection of his friend, or of his kindness: his uncle was the theme of all his boyish anecdotes; his opinion was alleged as the decisive and infallible authority in every argument; and his practice was the example by which he cast his line, and manufactured his fishing tackle. Such was

the mutual attachment in this unequal friendship:-but it was destined to suffer an early separation.-Young Hunt was one day playing in the school-room, with several of his companions-it was a game in which the boys were holding each other by the hand, and running round in an extended circle. They had not been long engaged in this amusement, when it was observed that Hunt's countenance became suddenly agitated. His school-fellows immediately relaxed their sports, and collected themselves about him. They eagerly inquired the cause of his disorder: "Was he giddy? Was he ill?"-were sounds rapidly reiterated from many voices. Young Hunt, as soon as the power of speech returned to him, stretched out his hand, and, pointing to one of the school-room windows, said:" I see my uncle, looking pale and ill, “I standing at that window." This happened, as nearly as could be calculated, by the account of his companions, at the precise moment in which his uncle had breathed his last many miles distant from the place at which his spectre had appeared.

The third relation which I shall offer, has been received from an anonymous correspondent, in whose words I shall transcribe it. The tale is very generally circulated in society; and though evidently corrupted by the many variations and additions, which it has derived from the imaginations of successive narrators, was founded on an event of a very mysterious character; and which, the publication of the present account may possibly become the means of drawing forth in a less adulterated form.

At the commencement of the French Revolution, Lady Pennyman, and her two daughters, retired to Lisle ; where they hired a very handsome large house, at a very

trifling rent. During their residence in this abode, the lady received from her husband, Sir John Pennyman, a draft for a very considerable sum, which she carried to the banker of the town, and requested to have it cashed. The man, as is much the custom on the Continent, gave her a large portion of silver in exchange. As Lady Pennyman was proceeding to pay some visits, she requested that the banker would send the money to her house; of which she described the situation. The parcel was instantly committed to the care of a porter: and, on the lady's inquiring of him, whether he understood, from her directions, the place to which his charge was to be conveyed, the man replied, that he was perfectly aware of the place designated; and that it was called the "Haunted House." The latter part of this answer was addressed to the banker, in a low tone of voice; but was overheard by Lady Pennyman. She paid, however, no attention to the words; and naturally supposed, that the report connected with her habitation was one of those which are raised by the imagination of the ignorant, respecting every dwelling which is long untenanted, or remarkable for its antiquity.

A few weeks afterwards, the words were recalled to her recollection, in a manner that surprised her. The housekeeper, with many apologies for being obliged to mention any thing that might appear so idle and absurd, 'came to the apartment in which her mistress was sitting, and said that two of the servants, who had accompanied her ladyship from England, had that morning given warning and expressed a determination of quitting her ladyship's service, on account of the mysterious noises, by which they had been, night after night, disturbed and terrified. "I trust, Carter," replied Lady Pennyman, "that you have too much good sense, to be alarmed on

:

your own account, by any of these superstitious and visionary fears; and pray exert yourself, in endeavouring to tranquillize the apprehensions of others, and persuading them to continue in their places." The The persuasions of Carter were ineffectual. The servants insisted that the noises which had alarmed them were not the operations of any earthly beings; and persevered in their resolution of returning to their native country.

The room from which the sounds were supposed to have proceeded, was at a distance from Lady Pennyman's apartments, and immediately over those which were occupied by the two female servants, who had themselves been terrified by them, and whose report had spead a general panic through the rest of the family. To quiet the alarm Lady Pennyman resolved on leaving her own chamber for a time, and establishing herself in the one which had been lately quitted by the domestics. The room above was a long, spacious apartment, which appeared to have been for a very considerable time deserted. In the centre of the chamber was a large iron cage. It was an extraordinary piece of furniture to find in any mansion; but the legend which the servants had collected respecting it appeared to be still more extraordinary. It was said that a late proprietor of the house, a young man of enormous property, had in his minority been confined in that apartment by his uncle and guardian; and there hastened to a premature death by the privations and the cruelties to which he was exposed. Those cruelties had been practised under the pretence of necessary corrections. It was alleged, that: "He was idle, stubborn, inattentive, of an untoward disposition, which nothing but severity could improve." In his boyhood, frequent chastisement, continued application, and the refusal of every interval of