THE Myſtery Revealed, &c.

IT is ſomewhat remarkable, that the Refor⯑mation, which in other countries baniſhed ſuperſtition in England, ſeemed to en⯑creaſe the credulity of the vulgar. At a time when Bacon was employed in reſtoring true phi⯑loſophy, King James was endeavouring to ſtrenghen our prejudices, both by his authority and writings. Scot, Glanville, and Coleman, wrote and preached with the ſame deſign; and our judges, particularly Sir Matthew Hales, gave ſome horrid proofs of their credulity.

Since that time, arguments of this kind have been pretty much rejected by all but the loweſt claſs. The vulgar have indeed, upon ſeveral occaſions, called for juſtice upon ſuppoſed cri⯑minals, and when denied, have often exerciſed it themſelves: their accuſations, however, in general, fell upon the poor, the ignorant, the old, or the friendleſs, upon perſons who were unable to reſiſt, or who, becauſe they knew no [2] guilt, were incapable of making an immediate defence.

But of all accuſations of this nature, few ſeem ſo extraordinary, as that which has lately engroſſed the attention of the public, and which is ſtill carrying on at an houſe in Cock-lane near Smithfield. The continuance of the noiſes, the numbers who have heard them, the perſeverance of the girl, and the atro⯑ciouſneſs of the murder which ſhe pretends to detect, are circumſtances that were never per⯑haps ſo favourably united for the carrying on of impoſture before. The credulous are preju⯑diced by the child's apparent benevolence: her age and ignorance wipe off the imputation of her being able to deceive, and one or two more, who pretend actually to have ſeen the ap⯑parition, are ready to ſtrengthen her evi⯑dence.

Upon theſe grounds, a man, otherwiſe of a fair character, as will ſhortly appear, is ren⯑dered odious to ſociety, ſhunned by ſuch as im⯑mediately take imputation for guilt, and made unhappy in his family, without having even in law a power of redreſs. Few characters more deſerve compaſſion, than one, that is thus branded with crimes without an accuſer, at⯑tacked, in a manner, at once, calculated to ex⯑cite curioſity, and ſpread defamation, and all without a power of legal vindication. If a per⯑ſon [3] in ſuch circumſtances diſregards calumny, and appears unconcerned, he is then accuſed of obſtinacy and impudence; if he ſhrinks at the reproach, his timidity is conſtrued as a ſymptom of his guilt: a writer of the life of Urban Gran⯑dier, who was maliciouſly accuſed, and burnt for being a magician, thus deſcribes his ſitua⯑tion: If he ſpoke like an orator, ſays the hiſto⯑rian, his accuſers obſerve that the devil inſpired his eloquence; if he was ſilent, they looked upon it as a tacit avowal of his guilt; when he groaned aloud under the torture, they called it obſtinacy; when he fainted away, they aſſerted, that his fa⯑miliar had rendered him inſenſible. In ſhort, if the credulous are reſolved to ſuſpect, even op⯑poſite and improbable circumſtances, will ſerve to awaken ſuſpicion; and then calumny ſhall grow, though incapable of being traced to the author, or though apparently propagated by malice, reſentment, or imbecility.

It is, however, a great inſtance of the good ſenſe of the public upon the preſent occaſion, that even the vulgar have ſcarce given the ſmall⯑eſt degree of aſſent to this deception. Tho' no ſcheme was ever laid with more low cunning, and carried on with more indefatigable application, yet it has found but very few partizans, even among the very loweſt of the people, who are ready enough to believe any tale of this nature. They readily perceived that it was but a trick; [4] they were only amazed, at what could be the motives for ſo black an imputation; and pro⯑bably deſired information; they heard the per⯑ſon's character who had been accuſed, very freely treated in the news papers, and perhaps were not unwilling to believe a crime againſt a man, whom they had been taught to diſlike. I ſhall therefore, upon the preſent occaſion, give the public a more ſatisfactory account of this whole tranſaction, than has hitherto tranſpired, and that, without partiality or prejudice, I ſhall repeat nothing as a truth, that will not, upon the cloſeſt examination, be found ſtrictly ſo; living witneſſes ſhall be appealed to in proof of each aſſertion. More ſtudious of defence than recrimi⯑nation, nothing is aſſerted that even the oppo⯑nents will not confeſs. It is the duty of every honeſt man, to exculpate the guiltleſs, and enligh⯑ten the public, and theſe are the only motives for my preſent publication.

The circumſtances that gave riſe to this affair, are in ſhort as follows. In the year 1756, Mr. K— was married to Miſs E— L— of L— in the county of Norfolk, and during the ſhort time ſhe lived with him, they enjoyed all the hap⯑pineſs a married ſtate could beſtow. But in about eleven months after their cohabitation, Mr. K— having taken the Poſt-office at S— in Norfolk, he and his wife were ſcarce ſettled there a month, when ſhe died in childbed. This fatal accident therefore determined him to lay aſide all thoughts [5] of public buſineſs, but as he had engaged for a year certain at the Poſt-office, he was obliged to keep houſe till the expiration of that term. During this interval Miſs F— L—, the perſon whoſe ghoſt is ſuppoſed to appear, and who was ſiſter to his late wife, and lived with her as a companion, at her deceaſe continued to reſide with Mr. K—, in the character of his houſe-keeper. The frequent intercourſe ariſing from ſuch a ſituation, ſoon produced a very tender affection between them. Mr. K— however finding, that by the ſtrict⯑neſs of the canon law, he was not allowed to indulge his paſſion, (as his deceaſed, wife's iſſue by him was born alive, tho' it died a ſhort time after birth) took a reſolution of com⯑ing up to London, with intentions of pur⯑chaſing a place in ſome public office, and in hopes of finding a cure from abſence and diſſipation. Their affections however ſeemed to encreaſe by abſence; he conſtantly received let⯑ters from the young lady, filled with repeated entreaties to ſpend the reſt of their lives together, and with poſitive proteſtations of coming to London after him even on foot, if he did not procure her a more creditable conveyance. Theſe inſtances of her regard and reſolution awakened all his paſſion, and at laſt induced Mr. K— to comply with her ſolicitations, thus at once to gratify his own inclination as well as her's. As the canon law would have allowed him to marry her, had there been no iſſue born alive from his former wife, he thought himſelf [6] at leaſt, in foro conſcientiae, permitted to gratify his paſſion, nor could he ſee why ſo ſmall an obſtacle as the birth of a child, that ſo ſhort a time ſurvived its mother, ſhould prevent his happineſs.

During their reſidence at S— they had con⯑tracted an acquaintance with one Mr. L— a gentleman who lived ſome years in the ſame neighbourhood. To this gentleman, who was now ſettled in London, Mr. K— had recourſe as a friend; and underſtanding that he ſoon purpoſed ſpending a fortnight in Norfolk, about Whitſun⯑tide 1759, Mr. K— communicated the whole affair to him, ſhewed him her letters, and entreated him, if ſhe perſiſted in her re⯑ſolution of coming to London, to conduct her up to town upon his return. The gentleman complied, and upon his going into the country, waited upon Miſs F—, informed her of his in⯑ſtructions, and as his principal buſineſs lay at a village about 20 miles diſtant from her, where he intended to ſtay eight or ten days, he deſired to be acquainted with her final reſolution by let⯑ter; accordingly, three or four days before his intended return to town, he received a letter from her, requeſting him to meet her at S—m, a market town, exactly midway between them. Here they agreed to go for London that night, and as the Yarmouth ſtage coach was going then for London, they took that opportunity, and ar⯑rived in town at about five in the evening.

[7]Mr. K—, not being exactly apprized of the day of her arrival, was at that time at his coun⯑try lodgings at Greenwich, upon which Miſs F— took a pair of oars and went to him there. As it was Mr. K—'s intention for the future to live with her as his wife, he had declared himſelf a married man to all his acquaintance long before her arrival, nor were any of them ſurprized at his bringing home a woman, whom he acknow⯑ledged as his lawful wife. She was always called by his name, and ever treated and conſi⯑dered as a wife by him; and from their mutual happineſs and affection the contrary would have never been known, had not her relations, who by all the ties of honour and generoſity, were concerned to keep it a ſecret, taken every oppor⯑tunity of divulging it to the world, and from a pretended regard for her reputation, endeavour⯑ed to publiſh her ſhame.

As Mr. K— could not find an houſe to his mind, he took her to his lodgings near the Man⯑ſion houſe, where however they did not continue long; for to uſe the expreſſion of a gentleman, who publiſhed an account in one of the public news papers, ſigned J. A. L. the people of the houſe where they lodged, did not altogether approve their conduct; and indeed it would be ſurprizing if they had, for Mr. K— was oblig⯑ed to arreſt his landlord for above twenty pounds [8] that he had lent him, a ſtep which it is probable this ſame landlord did not entirely approve.

From this lodging they removed to Mr. P—s in Cock-lane near Weſt Smithfield. But it ſoon unfortunately happened, that his preſent land⯑lord had the very ſame cauſe of diſlike to Mr. K— that his former landlord had. Money was borrowed by this as well as the former, and the ſame ſlow diſpoſition to repay it appeared in the new as well as the old. Mr. K— was therefore obliged to have recourſe once more to law, and to ſue his new landlord for twelve pounds, after many vain ſollicitations for payment. This, as may naturally be expected, created uneaſineſs and diſturbances between them, and the quarrel roſe to ſuch an height, that at laſt he left Mr. P—'s houſe at an hour's warning, and took ano⯑ther lodging, at a jeweller's in the ſame neigh⯑bourhood, an inconvenient apartment indeed, but which he expected would ſerve for a ſhort time, till an houſe which he had taken in Bart⯑let-court was fitted up.

Thus far then we ſee nothing ſo very culpa⯑ble in the conduct of Mr. K—; there was neither inveigling nor inceſt in the caſe, as the world has been taught to believe, the lady's coming to London was almoſt againſt his conſent, and his living with her after as his wife, was what the canon law would have allowed, had it not been for the child by his former wife, which was born [9] alive. This light circumſtance prevented a public marriage; but to remedy this, the young lady and he took every precaution to live faithfully together, and to unite their friendſhip by the ties alſo of intereſt. They made their wills mutually in each others favour; Mr. K—'s fortune was conſiderable; hers only amounted to a bare hundred pound; ſo that if there was any advantage on either ſide, it was on the part of the young lady. Yet how has this been miſrepreſented to the public by the ſame gentleman in the news papers, who ſigns himſelf J. A. L. He ſeems to intimate, that the lady was inveigled from her friends, and then decoyed into making a will, perjudicial to her own in⯑tereſts. But who is this Perſon, who ſo diſintereſtedly eſpouſes the cauſe of public juſtice, and takes this open method of aſperſing Mr. K—. There is a gentleman of K—'s acquain⯑tance, the initials of whoſe name are theſe let⯑ters, and whether he really was or not concern⯑ed in the publication, will be ſhortly made ap⯑pear in a due courſe of juſtice.

If there be any thing very culpable in Mr. K—'s behaviour, the public has now ſeen it; perhaps a rigid moraliſt would cenſure him in ſome inſtances of it, but certain I am, there are few who, conſcious of their own tranſgreſſions, could not pardon him; what the reader has ſeen how⯑ever is the only indefenſible part of his cha⯑racter; [10] in all other reſpects he was entirely blameleſs, and what follows of his conduct, is as open, and as well atteſted, as any evidence that was ever given, and which, inſtead of reproach, will perhaps merit approbation.

At his new lodging he had not remained above a week, when Mrs. L — was taken ill; a phyſician was immediately ſent for, who had occaſionally viſited her before; an apothecary was employed, and every precaution taken that tenderneſs could ſuggeſt. But the reader will beſt determine on the manner of her treatment by the following certificate, drawn up by the phyſician himſelf, and ſigned by him and the apothecary.

By this we find the lady taken ill of a diſor⯑der, in itſelf extremely dangerous, ſtill more ſo, at her mature time of life, but moſt of all ſo, as the patient was now far advanced in her preg⯑nancy. We ſee her treated in the moſt judi⯑cious manner by perſons of learning and credit, her danger prognoſticated with judgment and accuracy; and her diſorder going thro' all the regular but fatal ſtages, peculiar to the ſmall-pox alone, together with her death foretold, and prepared for four days before it hap⯑pened.

After ſuch an atteſtation, we may judge what credit is to be given to the ſuppoſed ghoſt, when among the reſt of her anſwers, ſhe aſſerts, that ſhe was poiſoned but three hours before ſhe died. It here appears, ſhe ſwallowed nothing but in the preſence of the phyſician, at leaſt fifty hours before her death; and, in fact, there was no great neceſſity to poiſon her, if there had been ſuch an intention, and if ſhe could ſwallow, when the doctor and apothecary [14] both joined in aſſerting ſhe could not live twelve hours; and when the ſymptoms of approaching death but too viſibly promiſed to anticipate the operations of even the ſtrongeſt poiſon, ſo as to make the perpetration needleſs.

After ſuch a full vindication therefore, the reader may judge what credit is to be given to the calumny of the perſon who ſubſcribes him⯑ſelf R— B—, a man, at beſt—but I will have more tenderneſs to his character than he had to that of Mr. K—; it is enough to ob⯑ſerve, that he was connected with her relations, and ſaw nothing that he relates, there can be no credit therefore given to this man, when he aſſures the public, that ſhe was purely, or in a fair way of doing well, the day before ſhe died.

In fact, ſo far from being ſo, that ſhe per⯑ceived herſelf the approaches of death, and pre⯑vailed on Mr. K— to ſend for one Mr. M—s, an eminent attorney of her acquaintance, to ex⯑amine her will in Mr. K—'s favour, and if not found a good one, to draw it over anew. Up⯑on Mr. M—'s declaring the will to be good, ſhe aſked this gentleman, if it could not be made ſtill more ſtrongly in Mr. K—'s favour: to which he replied in the negative: upon which, declaring her ſatisfaction, Mr. K— aſked her, if ſhe would chuſe to give any thing to any of her [15] relations? to which ſhe replied, no: he then de⯑ſired to know, if ſhe choſe to divide her cloaths among her ſiſters? to which ſhe anſwered with ſome emotion, I have nothing to give to any one but you. She was at that time ſenſible, and ſurely, had ſhe herſelf ſuſpected any foul treat⯑ment, ſhe would never have carried her affec⯑tion ſo far, as to reward the cauſe of her deſtruc⯑tion.

But ſhe was alſo attended by a divine of the church of England, Mr. A—, a gentleman equally remarkable for his benevolence, learn⯑ing, and morals: he was a witneſs to Mr. K—'s treatment and her behaviour; he de⯑clares, and has often declared, that never, dur⯑ing the time of his viſits, did he ſee a grief more expreſſive than in Mr. K—, nor a tenderneſs more affecting than in the deceaſed.

As ſoon as ſhe died, Mr. K— ſent her ſiſter, who lived in Pall-mall, the earlieſt notice; or⯑dered an undertaker to make as good a coffin as he could, both lined and covered; but being apprehenſive of a proſecution, if he gave her his own name upon it; and being unwilling to give her any other, he deſired that no name ſhould be fixed; but afterwards, when called upon for to have her name regiſtered; finding himſelf obliged to give ſome name, he gave her his own, being determined ſhe ſhould not ſuffer reproach, whatever might be the reſult. [16] Her funeral was as decent as his circumſtances could permit; and her ſiſter, who was preſent, wept over the corpſe for ſome time before the coffin was ſcrewed down; by which it farther appears, what credit ſhould be given to the aforeſaid B—, when he ſays, that her ſiſter was deprived of the pleaſure of ſeeing her dear ſiſter's body, as the coffin had been ſcrewed down ſome time before ſhe came to the houſe. Her ſiſter wept for ſome time over the body while yet ex⯑poſed, and the coffin being then ſcrewed down, ſhe attended it with the company to the vault in St. J— Clerkenwell, and ſeemed at that time well ſatisfied with her ſiſter's treatment. Mr. K— upon their return, offered her any part of the cloaths of the deceaſed, or the whole, if ſhe choſe them: to which ſhe replied, that ſhe looked upon Mr. K—'s behaviour to her ſiſter in the ſame light as if they had been actually married; and that he was welcome to all that he was poſſeſſed of belonging to her ſiſter.

Such is the plain narrative of the behaviour of Mr. K— to Miſs L—, not ſupported by mere aſſertion, but by facts that will bear the ſtricteſt ſcrutiny; not by witneſſes remote or obſcure, but by perſons of undoubted credit, candour, and veracity; not produced as ſup⯑porters of a controverſy, for the accuſation is too ridiculous to admit one, but mentioned in order to carry conviction. And, indeed, it was happy for him, that his conduct was obſerved [17] by a greater number of perſons than are gene⯑rally preſent upon ſuch occaſions, his behaviour could admit of no ſuſpicion, and there were no ſuſpicious characters concern'd in the tranſaction.

A perſon who had behaved in ſo fair and open a manner, might ſurely have no reaſon to expect reproach upon this affair; he might reſt in ſecurity, that no accuſation or calumny, ariſing from his former conduct, could affect him now; but he was attacked from a quarter, that no perſon in his ſenſes could in the leaſt have imagined, in a manner, that but to men⯑tion, would have excited the laughter of thou⯑ſands: after an interval of two years, all of a ſudden, he was ſurprized with the horrid impu⯑tation of being a murderer, of having murder⯑ed the perſon he held moſt dear upon earth, of having murdered her by poiſon: and who is his accuſer? Why, a ghoſt! The reader laughs; yet, ridiculous as the witneſs is, groundleſs as the accuſation, it has ſerved to make one man compleatly unhappy. The ſlighteſt evils, by frequent repetition, at laſt become real misfor⯑tunes, and the imputation of great crimes, how⯑ever unſupported, often blacken a character more than the commiſſion of ſmaller ones.

I would not chuſe to pall the reader with a repetition of tranſactions, which he has already heard too often repeated, but the ſtory of the ghoſt is in brief, as follows: — For ſome time a knocking and ſcratching has [18] been heard in the night at Mr. P—s's, where Mr. K— and Mrs. L— formerly lodged, to the great terror of the family; and ſeveral me⯑thods were tried, to diſcover the impoſture, but without ſucceſs. This knocking and ſcratching was generally heard in a little room, in which Mr. P—s's two children lay; the eldeſt of which was a girl about twelve or thirteen years old. The purport of this knocking was not thoroughly conceived, till the eldeſt child pretended to ſee the actual ghoſt of the deceaſed lady mentioned above. When ſhe had ſeen the ghoſt, a weak, ig⯑norant publican alſo, who lived in the neighbour⯑hood, aſſerted that he had ſeen it too; and Mr. P—s himſelf, (the gentleman whom Mr. K— had diſobliged by ſuing for money) he alſo ſaw the ghoſt about the ſame time: the girl ſaw it without hands, in a ſhrowd; the other two ſaw it with hands, all luminous and ſhining. There was one unlucky circumſtance however in the apparition: though it appeared to three ſeveral perſons, and could knock, ſcratch, and flutter, yet its coming would have been to no manner of purpoſe, had it not been kindly aſ⯑ſiſted by the perſons thus haunted. It was impoſſible for a ghoſt that could not ſpeak, to make any diſcovery; the people there⯑fore, to whom it appeared, kindly undertook to make the diſcovery themſelves; and the ghoſt, by knocking, gave its aſſent to their method of wording the accuſation; thus there was nothing illegal on any ſide, Mr. K—'s character was blackened, without an accuſer; the perſons haunted only aſked queſtions, no doubt, mere⯑ly [19] from curioſity, without any aſſertion that could be reprehended; and anſwers by knock⯑ing could by no means be looked upon as a legal cauſe of impeachment. Thouſands, who believed nothing of the matter came, in order, if poſſible, to detect its falſehood, or ſatisfy cu⯑rioſity; and the words poiſon and murder being frequently joined with the name of the ſup⯑poſed offender, that name became every where public, joined to an accuſation, which, whe⯑ther believed or not in itſelf, is to a ſenſible mind ſufficient miſery: to become every where remarkable by imputed guilt, is certainly a ſtate of uneaſineſs, that only falls ſhort of a con⯑ſciouſneſs of real villainy.

When therefore the ſpirit taught the aſſiſt⯑ants, or rather the aſſiſtants had taught the ſpi⯑it, (for that could not ſpeak) that Mr. K— was the murderer, the road lay then open, and every night the farce was carried on, to the amuſe⯑ment of ſeveral, who attended with all the good-humour, which the ſpending one night with novelty inſpires; they jeſted with the ghoſt, ſoothed it, flattered it, while none was truly unhappy, but him whoſe character was thus re⯑peatedly rendered odious, and trifled with, merely to amuſe idle curioſity.

To have a proper idea of this ſcene, as it is now carried on, the reader is to conceive a very ſmall room with a bed in the middle, the girl, [20] at the uſual hour of going to bed, is undreſſed, and put in with proper ſolemnity; the ſpectators are next introduced, who ſit looking at each other, ſuppreſſing laughter, and wait in ſilent expectation for the opening of the ſcene. As the ghoſt is a good deal offended at incredulity, the perſons preſent are to conceal theirs, if they have any, as by this concealment they can only hope to gratify their curioſity. For, if they ſhew either before, or when the knocking is begun, a too prying, inquiſitive, or ludicrous turn of thinking, the ghoſt continues uſually ſilent, or, to uſe the expreſſion of the houſe, Miſs Fanny is angry. The ſpectators therefore have nothing for it, but to ſit quiet and credulous, other⯑wiſe they muſt hear no ghoſt, which is no ſmall diſappointment to perſons, who have come for no other purpoſe.

The girl who knows, by ſome ſecret, when the ghoſt is to appear, ſometimes apprizes the aſſiſtants of its intended viſitation. It firſt be⯑gins to ſcratch, and then to anſwer queſtions, giving two knocks for a negative, and one for an affirmative. By this means it tells whether a watch, when held up, be white, blue, yellow, or black; how many clergymen are in the room, though in this ſometimes miſtaken; it evidently diſtinguiſhes white men from negroes, with ſeveral other marks of ſagacity; however, it is ſometimes miſtaken in queſtions of a private [21] nature, when it deigns to anſwer them: for inſtance; the ghoſt was ignorant where ſhe dined upon Mr. K—'s marriage; how many of her relations were at church upon the ſame oc⯑caſion; but particularly, ſhe called her father John inſtead of Thomas, a miſtake indeed a little extraordinary in a ghoſt; but perhaps ſhe was willing to verify the old proverb, that it is a wiſe child that know its own father. How⯑ever, though ſometimes right, and ſometimes wrong, ſhe pretty invariably perſiſts in one ſtory, namely, that ſhe was poiſoned, in a cup of purl, by red arſenic, a poiſon unheard of before, by Mr. K— in her laſt illneſs; and that ſhe hear⯑tily wiſhes him hanged.

It is no eaſy matter to remark upon an evi⯑dence of this nature; but it may not be un⯑neceſſary to obſerve, that the ghoſt, though fond of company, is particularly modeſt upon theſe occaſions, an enemy to the light of a candle, and always moſt ſilent before thoſe, from whoſe rank and underſtanding ſhe could moſt reaſonably expect redreſs. When a committee of gentle⯑men of eminence for their rank, learning, and good ſenſe, were aſſembled to give the ghoſt a fair hearing, then, one might have thought, would have been the time to knock loudeſt, and to ex⯑ert every effort; then was the time to bring the guilty to juſtice, and to give every poſſible me⯑thod of information; but in what manner ſhe behaved upon this teſt of her reality, will better [22] appear from the committee's own words, than mine. Their advertiſement runs thus;

Such an account will convince thoſe who are under the influence of reaſon, but nothing can gain over ſome, who from their infancy have been taught to believe, but not to think. To convince ſuch it were to be wiſhed, that the com⯑mittee had continued their ſcrutiny a night or two longer, by which means the impoſtor would in all probability be caught in the fact, or at leaſt more thoroughly detected. For if the ghoſt perſiſted in ſuch company to continue ſi⯑lent, it would then be obvious, that it was afraid of the diſcovery it pretended to aim at; or if it continued to knock or ſcratch, the noiſes, by explaining themſelves, could not long fruſ⯑trate a judicious enquiry.

[25]But as it is, the ghoſt ſtill continues to prac⯑tiſe as before, and in ſome meaſure remains un⯑detected; and it is probable, that ſhe will thus continue for a much longer time, to exhibit among friends who deſire no detection, or a⯑mong the curious, whoſe pleaſure is in proportion to the deception. The ghoſt knows perfectly well before whom to exhibit. She could as we ſee venture well enough to fright the ladies, or perhaps ſome men, about as couragious as ladies, and as diſcerning; but when the committee had come up, and gathered round the bed, it was no time then to attempt at deception, the ghoſt was angry, and very judiciouſly kept her hun⯑ters at bay.

But let not the reader imagine, that I would ſeriouſly produce formal arguments to refute an accuſation, which upon the firſt bluſh an⯑ſwers itſelf; what was once ſaid to a writer, who drew up a book to prove the iniquity of the Inquiſition, might in ſuch a caſe be applied to me. Men, ſaid he, who read books of con⯑troverſy, are already convinced of the abſurdity you undertake to refute; while thoſe who believe ſuch falſehoods, never examine their own opinions, and will conſequently never read yours.

The queſtion in this caſe, therefore, is not, whether the ghoſt be true or falſe, but who are [26] the contrivers, or what can be the motives for this vile deception? to attempt to aſſign the motives of any action, is not ſo eaſy a taſk as many imagine. A thouſand events have riſen from caprice, pride or mere idleneſs, which an undiſcerning ſpectator might have attributed to reaſon, reſentment, and cloſe laid deſign. It would not therefore become me, who have been now endeavouring to vindicate innocence, to lay the blame of this impoſture on any individual upon earth, tho' never ſo rationally to be ſuſpected; All I ſhall ſay is, that, as the reader may remem⯑ber, Mr. K— has many who owe him an ill will. His landlord at one houſe, whom he arreſted for money lent him, had cauſe of reſentment; his lardlord in Cock-lane, the father of the child, whom he was obliged to ſue from ſimilar mo⯑tives, was, it is to be ſuppoſed, willing enough to retaliate the ſuppoſed injury. But above all, Mrs. L—'s relations, who had filed a bill in chancery againſt him, juſt two months before this infernal agent appeared to ſtrengthen their plea. This law-ſuit between him and the family of the deceaſed, is of a domeſtic nature, and therefore unfit at preſent to be laid before the public; all that is neceſſary to be mentioned, is, that their animoſity has been carried to the high⯑eſt pitch, and that ſince its commencement, they have purſued him with implacable reſent⯑ment; what may be the juſtice of his cauſe, or of their anger, the proper judges and not the [27] public are to determine; but whether it goes for or againſt him, the world may be aſſur'd, that the whole true ſtate of this chancery ſuit (as far as is conſiſtent with law) will be very minutely laid before them, upon a proper occaſion; for the preſent it is ſufficient to obſerve, that it was com⯑menced in November laſt, while Mr. K— was upon a journey for his brother, and that when he returned, to put in his appearance, he ſoon found a proſecution of a much more terrible na⯑ture commenced againſt him, more terrible, as unexpected, and more dangerous, as the cauſe was unknown.

I have now as briefly, and indeed as tenderly as I could, ſtated the whole of this moſt ſurprizing tranſaction, and the reader by this time ſees how far Mr. K— is culpable. He ſees him living affectionately with a woman as his wife, whom the laws of nature allowed him to love, but the ſtrictneſs of the canon law forbade him to marry. He ſees every poſſible method taken to preſerve this woman's reputation and life, and the moſt reputable perſons produced, as witneſſes of her end. He ſees men of the higheſt rank, both for birth, character, and learning, joined to ac⯑knowledge the whole of the pretended ghoſt, as an impoſition upon the public; and laſtly, he ſees thoſe who pretend to bear witneſs to the accuſa⯑tion, perſons of a mixed reputation, of groſs ignorance, great cruelty, and what is more, [28] armed with reſentment againſt him. I would not wiſh however, to turn the popular reſent⯑ment upon any particular perſon, but I think it my duty to divert it ſome where from the guiltleſs.

But ſtill it ſeems ſomething extraordinary, how this impoſition could be ſo long carried on with⯑out a diſcovery. However, when we compare it to ſome others, which have ſucceſsfully deceived the public a yet longer time, our wonder will be in ſome meaſure diminiſhed. It was the ob⯑ſervation of Eraſmus, that whenever people flock to ſee a miracle, they are generally ſure of ſeeing a miracle; they bring an heated imagination, and an eager curioſity to the ſcene of action, give themſelves up blindly to deception, and each is better pleaſed with having it to ſay, that he had ſeen ſomething very ſtrange, than that he was made the dupe of his own credulity. There are many alive now, who muſt, I ſuppoſe, remember the famous impoſtor Richard Hatha⯑way, whoſe caſe is recorded in the State Trials. This ignorant creature deceived the public both ſucceſsfully and long. He vomited in public crooked pins, which he had previouſly ſwal⯑lowed in private; he accuſed an innocent per⯑ſon of magic; he pretended to faſt for a month together, and even in this deceived his guardians, with twenty other feats; by which means, the perſon he accuſed was actually impriſoned, and [29] ſtood her trial at Guildford aſſizes. The cir⯑cumſtances were ſtrong; but then was not the time for burning for witchcraft, as about an age before: the poor woman was acquitted, and her accuſer ordered to priſon in her ſtead; Hatha⯑way was conſigned to the care of an apothe⯑cary, who lived in Guildford, if I remember, and here guarded by a maid, who pretended to be ſorry for his ſituation, and took part in his diſ⯑treſs: to her therefore he confeſſed all his im⯑poſtures, and the apothecary actually detected him at laſt through an hole in his chamber wall, either hiding more pins in his mouth, or making an hearty meal upon proviſions the maid had ſtole for him. Richard however, though put in the pillory as an impoſtor, had many partizans of credit and reputation; and ſome were ſo credulous, as to ſuppoſe him ſincere, even after his own confeſſion to the contrary.

The people believed in Richard; but there never was an inſtance in which they were in ge⯑neral ſo averſe to impoſture as in the preſent at⯑tempt to deceive them: it is not known, how⯑ever, what effect a continuance of thoſe endea⯑vours, if not ſilenced by proper methods, may have: it is eaſy to conceive how much credu⯑lity is wrought upon by perſeverance, even pious and orthodox divines themſelves have been known to give credit to the ſtrangeſt falſehoods of this kind: [30] and Glanville declares his ſolemn belief in a ghoſt, whoſe only buſineſs conſiſted in playing tricks, and clattering plates and trenchers.

In fact, the geople can at laſt be taught to believe any thing, and may probably, by perſe⯑verance, be taught to believe this; nor can I avoid deploring the eaſineſs with which ſome, whoſe duty it is to guide them from error, ſuffer themſelves to be led into it. A ſtory that I am going to relate, will ſerve as an inſtance, how far the public may deceive themſelves, and how far even a proteſtant divine may, unknowingly, help the impoſture. The account is given us by Adrian Regenvolſcius, a proteſtant divine, in a work intitled, A Chronological Syſtem of Hiſtory, reſpecting the Reformation in Sclavo⯑nia; printed in Utrecht, 1652, p. 95. he men⯑tions it as a tranſaction, for the truth of which he can vouch; and his prudence, and the hiſto⯑rian's veracity are confirmed ſtill farther by Voe⯑tius, one of the moſt eminent theologicians of his time, and who was himſelf the editor. The paſ⯑ſage is this:

"In the number of theſe obſtacles to the reformation in Poland, which we have already mentioned, we may add another, namely, about the year 1597, God permitted the appearance of a certain ſpirit (at firſt it could not be ſaid whether it was black or white) to delude ſeveral [31] from the true faith, after the old ſuperſtitions. There was a certain girl, whoſe name was Biet⯑ka, who was courted by a young man called Zachary; they were both natives of Weilam, and had received their education there. This youth, though in deacon's orders, and alſo ſoon expecting to be prieſted, was nevertheleſs re⯑ſolved to marry Bietka, and accordingly they mutually plighted a promiſe to each other; but his father, in conſideration of the rank which he held in the church, prevented his marriage, up⯑on which he became melancholy, and ſoon after hanged himſelf. A ſhort time after his death, a ſpirit appeared to the diſconſolate Bietka, which pretended to be the ſoul of Zachary her lover, aſſuring her that he was ſent by God, to apprize her of his diſpleaſure at the raſhneſs of his death; and that, as ſhe had been the princi⯑pal cauſe of his temerity, he was come to ac⯑compliſh his promiſe to her, and to marry her. This falſe ſpirit knew perfectly well how to ca⯑jole this poor girl, by promiſing to enrich her ſo; that he at length perſuaded her that he was in reality the ſpirit of her lover; and ſhe accord⯑ingly plighted him her marriage vow. The noiſe of this extraordinary match, between a woman and a ſpirit was quickly ſpread over the whole country, and the curious, from every quarter, flocked in to be witneſs of ſo extraor⯑dinary an affair.

[32]Many of the Poliſh nobility, who believed in the honeſty of the ſpirit, became intimately ac⯑quainted with him; and even many of them brought him home to their houſes. By theſe means Bietka amaſſed a large ſum of money, and ſo much the more, as the ſpirit would not return an anſwer, nor ſpeak to a ſingle perſon, nor fore⯑tell the ſmalleſt occurrence without his wife's conſent. The ſpirit lived a whole year in the houſe of the Sieur Trepka, intendant of Craco⯑via; from thence going from houſe to houſe, he went at laſt to reſide with a certain widow lady, whoſe name was Wlodkow, where he re⯑mained for the ſpace of two years; and there played all the tricks of which he was capable. The principal are as follow: He told all things paſt and preſent. He talked in favour of the Ro⯑man Catholic religion, and aſſured his auditors, that the Reformers were all damned. He would not even permit one of them to approach him; for he conſidered them as unworthy his converſa⯑tion; he rather perſiſted in aſſuring his audience, that their only ſtudy was novelty, and not re⯑formation: and thus he brought back many again to popery.

Hitherto not a ſingle creature had perceived that this ſpirit was the devil, nor would it have ever been known, had it not been for ſome Po⯑landers, who, going to Rome in the year of [6] jubilee 1600, ſpread the news of the ſpirit through the whole country. A certain Italian, who underſtood magic, hearing this report, among others, and being informed that the ſpirit had now exhibited five years, recol⯑lected that he had loſt a ſpirit about that time, which he had long kept confined near his per⯑ſon. This magician therefore went to Poland, and waiting upon dame Wlodkow, demanded his property, to the aſtoniſhment of all the ſpectators. He inſiſted, that this devil, which had fled from him, ſhould be reſtored back; with which reaſonable requeſt the lady in⯑ſtantly complied: he once more therefore ſhut up this malicious ſpirit in a ring, and brought him back to Italy, aſſuring the people, that, had the devil been permitted to ſtay in Po⯑land much longer, he would have drawn down numberleſs miſeries upon the nation."

One would think, that a ſtory of this nature could hardly gain credit, and yet it deceived a whole nation for five years ſucceſſively: what is ſtill more ſurprizing, it deceived a Proteſtant divine, otherwiſe of ſenſe, and of learning. I cannot avoid thinking, that there are ſeveral ſimilar circumſtances between this Poliſh ghoſt and the ghoſt of Cock-lane. The ghoſt at Cock-lane anſwered queſtions, ſo did Zachary; the Cock-lane ghoſt is viſited by the nobility, ſo was Zachary; the Cock-lane ghoſt plays tricks, [14] ſo did Zachary; the Cock-lane ghoſt follows a girl, ſo did Zachary. There is one circum⯑ſtance, however, in which the parallel will not hold good; Zachary was believed to be a real ghoſt by a Proteſtant divine; but I fancy no Proteſtant divine can be found among us, ſo much the old woman, as to lend even a moment's aſſent to the ghoſt in Cock-lane.