This made me hasten to bed. But my sister, Hetty, who sits always to wait on my father, going to bed, was still sitting on the lowest step of the garret stairs, the door being shut at her back, when, soon after, there came down the stairs behind her something like a man in a loose night-gown trailing after him, which made her fly rather than run to me in the nursery." Emily Wesley, the writer of these words, it may be added, appeared to believe herself followed by this manifestation through life. When writing to her brother John, thirty-four years after the Epworth disturbances had taken place, she alludes to "that wonderful thing called by us Jeffrey " as calling upon her before any extraordinary new affliction.

In summing up the general circumstances attendant upon the disturbances in their household, John Wesley remarks:

66

Before it came into any room, the latches were frequently lifted up, the windows clattered, and whatever iron or brass was about the chamber rung and jarred exceedingly.

“When it was in any room, let them make what noise they would, as they sometimes did, its dead hollow note would be clearly heard above them all.

"The sound very often seemed in the air in the middle of a room; nor could they ever make any such themselves, by any contrivance.

"It never came by day till my mother ordered the horn to be blown. After that time scarce anyone could go from one room into another but the latch

of the room they went to was lifted up before they touched it.

"It never came into my father's study till he talked to it sharply, calling it a deaf and dumb devil, and bid it cease to disturb the innocent children, and come to him in his study if it had anything to say to him.

"From the time of my mother desiring it not to disturb her from five to six, it was never heard in her chamber from five till she came down-stairs, nor at any other time when she was employed in devotion." No satisfactory explanation of these remarkable circumstances has ever, so far as we can discover, been afforded.

ESHER.

MISS ANNA MARIA PORTER, the authoress, and sister of the still better known writer, Jane Porter, authoress of The Scottish Chiefs, at one period of her life resided at Esher, in Surrey. An aged gentleman of her acquaintance, who lived in the same place, was accustomed to visit at her house almost daily, generally making his appearance in the evening, when he would take a cup of tea and read the paper.

One evening Miss Porter saw him enter the room as usual, and seat himself at the table, but without saying a word. She addressed some remark to him, but received no reply, and, after a few seconds, was surprised

to see him rise and leave the room without uttering a word.

Fearing that he might have been taken ill suddenly, Miss Porter sent a servant to his house to make inquiries. She sent at once, but the answer the servant brought back was that the old gentleman had died suddenly about an hour before.

Miss Anna Maria, it is avowed, believed that she had seen an apparition, and was herself the authority for this story.

ETON.

SEVERAL writers of a past generation, including Joseph Glanvill, were fond of relating the story of Major Sydenham and his friend, Captain William Dyke, but it appears to have escaped the researches of modern commentators on the Supernatural. Shortly after the death of Major Sydenham, Dr. Thomas Dyke called on his cousin, Captain William Dyke, of Skilgate, in the county of Somersetshire, and agreed to pass the night with him. At the captain's request, Dr. Dyke agreed to sleep in the same bed with his cousin, but previous to composing himself to sleep, the Doctor was aroused by his companion calling up a servant and bidding the man bring him two of the largest candles he could obtain, and have them lighted.

The Doctor naturally inquired what these were

intended for, to which the Captain answered :-"You know, cousin, what disputes the Major and I have had touching the immortality of the soul, on which point we could never yet be resolved, though we so much desired it. And, therefore, it was at length fully agreed between us, that he who died first should, the third night after his funeral, between the hours of twelve and one, come to the little house which is here in the garden, and there give a full account touching these matters to the survivor, who should be sure to be present there at the set time, and so receive a full satisfaction. And this," says the Captain, "is the very night, and I am come on purpose to my present lodging to fulfil my promise."

The Doctor advised him not to follow strange counsels, for which he could have no warrant. The Captain replied, "that he had solemnly engaged," and that nothing should discourage him; and added, "that if the Doctor should wake awhile with him, he would shake him, if not, he might compose himself to rest; but, for his own part, he was resolved to watch, that he might be sure to be present at the hour appointed." To that purpose he set his watch by him, and as soon as he perceived that it was half an hour past eleven, he arose, and taking a candle in each hand, went out by a back door, of which he had before got the key, and walked into the garden house, where he continued two hours and a half. At his return he declared he had neither seen nor heard anything more than usual. But I know," said he, "that the Major would surely have come had he been able."

66

About six weeks after, the Captain rode to Eton, to place his son a scholar there, when the Doctor went thither with him. They lodged at the sign of the

66

66

Christopher," and tarried two or three nights, not lying together now, as before at Dulverton, but in two several chambers. The morning before they went away, the Captain stayed in his chamber longer than usual, before he called the Doctor. At length he came into the chamber, but with his body shaking and trembling. Whereat the Doctor, wondering, presently demanded, "What is the matter?" The Captain replied, "I have seen the Major." The Doctor seeming to smile, the Captain said, "If ever I saw him in my life, I saw him but now," and then related to the Doctor what had passed. "This morning, after it was light," said he, one came to my bedside, and suddenly drawing back the curtains, called, Captain! Captain!' To whom I replied, What, Major? To which he returned, 'I could not come at the time appointed, but I am now come to tell you, That there is a God, and a very just and terrible one, and if you do not turn over a new leaf (the very expression the Doctor punctually remembered) you shall find it so.'" The Captain proceeded:"On the table there lay a sword which the Major had formerly given me, and after the apparition had walked a turn or two about the chamber, he took up the sword, drew it, and finding it not so bright as it ought to be, cried, Captain! Captain! this sword did not use to be kept after this manner when it was mine.' After which he presently disappeared.'