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THE MYSTERY OF THE SUPPOSED COCK-LANE GHOST REVEALED, &c.

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THE MYSTERY REVEALED; Containing a SERIES of TRANSACTIONS AND AUTHENTIC TESTIMONIALS, Reſpecting the ſuppoſed COCK-LANE GHOST; Which have hitherto been concealed from the PUBLIC.

— Since none the Living dare implead,
Arraign him in the Perſon of the Dead.
DRYDEN.

LONDON: Printed for W. BRISTOW, in St. Paul's Church-yard. MDCCXLII.

THE Myſtery Revealed, &c.

[1]

IT is ſomewhat remarkable, that the Reformation, which in other countries baniſhed ſuperſtition in England, ſeemed to encreaſe the credulity of the vulgar. At a time when Bacon was employed in reſtoring true philoſophy, 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 criminals, 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 atrociouſneſs of the murder which ſhe pretends to detect, are circumſtances that were never perhaps ſo favourably united for the carrying on of impoſture before. The credulous are prejudiced 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 apparition, are ready to ſtrengthen her evidence.

Upon theſe grounds, a man, otherwiſe of a fair character, as will ſhortly appear, is rendered odious to ſociety, ſhunned by ſuch as immediately 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, attacked, in a manner, at once, calculated to excite curioſity, and ſpread defamation, and all without a power of legal vindication. If a perſon [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 Grandier, who was maliciouſly accuſed, and burnt for being a magician, thus deſcribes his ſituation: If he ſpoke like an orator, ſays the hiſtorian, 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 familiar had rendered him inſenſible. In ſhort, if the credulous are reſolved to ſuſpect, even oppoſite 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 ſmalleſt 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 probably deſired information; they heard the perſon'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 recrimination, nothing is aſſerted that even the opponents will not confeſs. It is the duty of every honeſt man, to exculpate the guiltleſs, and enlighten 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 happineſs 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 ſtrictneſs 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 coming up to London, with intentions of purchaſing 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 letters 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 contracted 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 Whitſuntide 1759, Mr. K— communicated the whole affair to him, ſhewed him her letters, and entreated him, if ſhe perſiſted in her reſolution 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 inſtructions, 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 letter; 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 arrived 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 country 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 acknowledged as his lawful wife. She was always called by his name, and ever treated and conſidered 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 opportunity of divulging it to the world, and from a pretended regard for her reputation, endeavoured to publiſh her ſhame.

As Mr. K— could not find an houſe to his mind, he took her to his lodgings near the Manſion 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 obliged 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 landlord 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 another lodging, at a jeweller's in the ſame neighbourhood, an inconvenient apartment indeed, but which he expected would ſerve for a ſhort time, till an houſe which he had taken in Bartlet-court was fitted up.

Thus far then we ſee nothing ſo very culpable 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 intereſts. 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 acquaintance, the initials of whoſe name are theſe letters, and whether he really was or not concerned in the publication, will be ſhortly made appear 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 however is the only indefenſible part of his character; [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.

SOME time in November 1759, I viſited Mr. K— at his lodgings at Mr. P—'s in Cock-lane, and was then retained, to attend the deceaſed F— — in her expected labour, ſhe being then in the ſixth month of her pregnancy. In the courſe of the following months, I viſited her occaſionally, twice or thrice in the ſame houſe; on the 25th of January following, I received a meſſage from Mr. K—, about nine in the morning, that the lady was ill, and wanted my aſſiſtance; I found them removed from P—'s, to an inconvenient apartment in the neighbourhood. I found the [11] lady, deceived by an acute pain in the back, into an opinion that ſhe was actually in labour; but on my declaring the contrary, found not only ſhe, but the women about her, were extremely uneaſy, ſtill ſuſpecting I had formed a wrong judgment; after a few hours, Mr. K— informed me, he had taken a houſe in Bartlet's-court, near Red-lyon ſtreet Clerkenwell, and, if I thought there was no danger, would be glad to remove her thither; I told him, there were no ſigns of labour, but that, from the ſymptoms, ſhe would probably be ill ſome time, as I apprehended an eruptive fever, tho' I had not, at that time, any ſuſpicion of the ſmall-pox, as I did not know ſhe had never had them. In the afternoon, I attended the deceaſed in a coach (having properly ſecured her from receiving any injury by cold) to the houſe; Mr. K— having been before ſent, to prepare the apartment. I had her immediately put to bed, ordered her to be blooded, and preſcribed ſuch cordial medicines, as I thought were proper to throw out an eruption; a nurſe was immediately provided, and all neceſſaries, for the care of the ſick patient. The next morning, I met Mr. Jones her apothecary, by appointment, the eruption began to appear, and from the violent lumbago of the day before, and other ſymptoms, we prognoſticated a confluent ſmall-pox, of a very virulent nature; Mr. K— was inform'd, that in her ſituation, the moſt favourable ſpecies of that diſtemper, would be extreamly hazardous; [12] and that her's being a bad ſort, the danger was very great; we endeavoured to aſſiſt nature, by early bliſterings, and adminiſtered medicines of a cordial nature; the ſymptoms were, for the firſt four or five days, rather favourable; but, when maturation ſhould have been performed, the pulſe flagged, the fever ſunk, and the whole eruption put on a wharty pallid appearance; and, as ſhe could not ſwallow, but with difficulty, ſhe could but ſeldom be prevailed on to take any thing; ſhe was herſelf ſenſible of her danger, and Mr. K— was told, ſhe could not ſurvive three or four days; he was adviſed therefore to procure a miniſter to viſit her, which was accordingly done; for the laſt two days, no perſuaſion could bring her to taſte any thing; ſo that, for near fifty hours before ſhe died, ſhe hardly ſwallowed a pint of any fluid whatever, and that only, when myſelf, or the apothecary were preſent to adminiſter it to her. The laſt morning of her life we found her extreamly low, her eyes ſunk, her ſpeech failing, and her intellects very imperfect; we told Mr. K—, ſhe could not then live twelve hours.—Accordingly, a ſhort time after we left her, her ſpeech was wholly taken from her, ſhe became ſenſeleſs, a little convulſed, and expired in the evening, viz. on the 2d of Feb. 1762.

T. C.
The foregoing is a true relation of the caſe of F— —, which we, who attended her in [13] her illneſs, are ready to atteſt: as witneſs our hands,
  • THO. COOPER, M. D. Northumberland-ſtreet, Charing-Croſs.
  • JA. JONES, Apothecary, Grafton-ſtreet, Soho.

By this we find the lady taken ill of a diſorder, 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 pregnancy. We ſee her treated in the moſt judicious 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 happened.

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 himſelf 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 obſerve, 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 perceived herſelf the approaches of death, and prevailed on Mr. K— to ſend for one Mr. M—s, an eminent attorney of her acquaintance, to examine her will in Mr. K—'s favour, and if not found a good one, to draw it over anew. Upon 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 deſired 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 treatment, ſhe would never have carried her affection ſo far, as to reward the cauſe of her deſtruction.

But ſhe was alſo attended by a divine of the church of England, Mr. A—, a gentleman equally remarkable for his benevolence, learning, and morals: he was a witneſs to Mr. K—'s treatment and her behaviour; he declares, and has often declared, that never, during 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; ordered 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 expoſed, 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 ſupporters 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 generally 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 mention, would have excited the laughter of thouſands: after an interval of two years, all of a ſudden, he was ſurprized with the horrid imputation of being a murderer, of having murdered 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 misfortunes, and the imputation of great crimes, however 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 methods 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, ignorant publican alſo, who lived in the neighbourhood, 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 aſſiſted by the perſons thus haunted. It was impoſſible for a ghoſt that could not ſpeak, to make any diſcovery; the people therefore, 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, merely [19] from curioſity, without any aſſertion that could be reprehended; and anſwers by knocking 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 curioſity; and the words poiſon and murder being frequently joined with the name of the ſuppoſed offender, that name became every where public, joined to an accuſation, which, whether 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 conſciouſneſs of real villainy.

When therefore the ſpirit taught the aſſiſtants, or rather the aſſiſtants had taught the ſpiit, (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 amuſement 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 repeatedly 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, otherwiſe 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 begins 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 occaſion; 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. However, 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 heartily wiſhes him hanged.

It is no eaſy matter to remark upon an evidence of this nature; but it may not be unneceſſary 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 gentlemen 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 exert every effort; then was the time to bring the guilty to juſtice, and to give every poſſible method 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;

"I think it proper to acquaint the Public, that the following account of the proceedings of the committee of gentlemen, who met at my houſe on Monday evening, in order to enquire into the reality of the ſuppoſed viſitation of a departed ſpirit at a houſe in Cock-lane, is alone authentick, and was drawn up, with the concurrence and approbation of the aſſembly, while they were preſent; and that the account in the Ledger of this day contains many circumſtances not founded in truth.

STE. ALDRICH."

"On this night, many gentlemen, eminent for their rank and character, were, by the invitation of the Rev. Mr. Aldrich of Clerkenwell, aſſembled at his houſe for the examination of the noiſes ſuppoſed to be made by a departed ſpirit, for the detection of ſome enormous crime".

"About ten at night the gentlemen met in the chamber, in which the girl, ſuppoſed to be diſturbed by a ſpirit, had, with proper caution, been put to bed by ſeveral ladies: they ſat rather more than an hour, and hearing nothing, went down ſtairs, where they interrogated the father of the girl, who denied, in the ſtrongeſt terms, any knowledge or belief of fraud."

[23]"The ſuppoſed ſpirit had before publicly promiſed, by an affirmative knock, that it would attend one of the gentlemen into the vault under the church of St. John, Clerkenwell, where the body is depoſited, and give a token of her preſence there by a knock upon her coffin; it was therefore determined to make this trial of the exiſtence or veracity of the ſuppoſed ſpirit."

"While they were enquiring and deliberating, they were ſummoned into the girl's chamber by ſome ladies, who were near her bed, and who had heard knocks and ſcratches: when the gentlemen entered, the girl declared, that ſhe felt the ſpirit like a mouſe upon her back; and was required to hold her hands out of bed. From that time, though the ſpirit was very ſolemnly required to manifeſt its exiſtence, by appearance, by impreſſion on the hand, or body of any preſent, by ſcratches, knocks, or any agency, no evidence of any preternatural power was exhibited."

"The ſpirit was then very ſeriouſly advertiſed, that the perſon, to whom the promiſe was made of ſtriking the coffin, was then about to viſit the vault, and that the performance of the promiſe was then claimed. The company, at one, went into the church, and the gentleman, to whom the promiſe was made, went, with one [24] more, into the vault. The ſpirit was ſolemnly required to perform its promiſe; but nothing more than ſilence enſued. The perſon, ſuppoſed to be accuſed by the ſpirit, then went down, with ſeveral others, but no effect was perceived. Upon their return, they examined the girl, but could draw no confeſſion from her: between two and three, ſhe deſired, and was permitted, to go home with her father."

"It is therefore the opinion of the whole aſſembly, that the child has ſome art of making or counterfeiting particular noiſes, and that there is no agency of any higher cauſe."

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 committee 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 ſilent, 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 fruſtrate a judicious enquiry.

[25]But as it is, the ghoſt ſtill continues to practiſe as before, and in ſome meaſure remains undetected; and it is probable, that ſhe will thus continue for a much longer time, to exhibit among friends who deſire no detection, or among 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 hunters at bay.

But let not the reader imagine, that I would ſeriouſly produce formal arguments to refute an accuſation, which upon the firſt bluſh anſwers 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 controverſy, 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 remember, 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 motives, 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 higheſt pitch, and that ſince its commencement, they have purſued him with implacable reſentment; 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 commenced 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 nature 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 acknowledge the whole of the pretended ghoſt, as an impoſition upon the public; and laſtly, he ſees thoſe who pretend to bear witneſs to the accuſation, 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 reſentment 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 without 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 obſervation 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 Hathaway, 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 ſwallowed in private; he accuſed an innocent perſon 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 circumſtances 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; Hathaway was conſigned to the care of an apothecary, 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 diſtreſs: to her therefore he confeſſed all his impoſtures, 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 general ſo averſe to impoſture as in the preſent attempt to deceive them: it is not known, however, what effect a continuance of thoſe endeavours, if not ſilenced by proper methods, may have: it is eaſy to conceive how much credulity 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 perſeverance, 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 Sclavonia; printed in Utrecht, 1652, p. 95. he mentions it as a tranſaction, for the truth of which he can vouch; and his prudence, and the hiſtorian's veracity are confirmed ſtill farther by Voetius, one of the moſt eminent theologicians of his time, and who was himſelf the editor. The paſſage 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 Bietka, 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 reſolved 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, upon 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 principal cauſe of his temerity, he was come to accompliſh his promiſe to her, and to marry her. This falſe ſpirit knew perfectly well how to cajole 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 accordingly 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 extraordinary an affair.

[32]Many of the Poliſh nobility, who believed in the honeſty of the ſpirit, became intimately acquainted 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 foretell the ſmalleſt occurrence without his wife's conſent. The ſpirit lived a whole year in the houſe of the Sieur Trepka, intendant of Cracovia; from thence going from houſe to houſe, he went at laſt to reſide with a certain widow lady, whoſe name was Wlodkow, where he remained 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 Roman 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 converſation; he rather perſiſted in aſſuring his audience, that their only ſtudy was novelty, and not reformation: 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 Polanders, 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, recollected that he had loſt a ſpirit about that time, which he had long kept confined near his perſon. 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 inſtantly 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 Poland 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 circumſtance, 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.

FINIS.
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Zitationsvorschlag für dieses Objekt
TextGrid Repository (2020). TEI. 5081 The mystery revealed containing a series of transactions and authentic testimonials respecting the supposed Cock Lane ghost which have hitherto been concealed from the public. University of Oxford Text Archive. . https://hdl.handle.net/21.T11991/0000-001A-6159-3