The National Register. — London, England, 1811-08-04 00:00:00

THE LAM. 'II GIP ISTS ! TO THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER. SlR—Finding, with much pleasure, the ease which your va luable columns often convey to the public mind, when alarmed by the fears of invasion, national ruin, and the other bug-bears of party, I indulge the hope, that sonic of these days you will spare me a corner, for a little account of the deliverance effected by some ladies, from a most awful calamity that had like to have befallen our neighbourhood, within these two months, by the nightly appearance of not merely one, or two, (which would have been sufficiently tremendous!) but of a wltok family of SUPERSTATURALS, or GHOSTS! To be serious :—I halie the happiness (if happines; consist in moral safety) to live in a neighbourhood which abounds in old maids, with here and there a good-natured old married lady.— Gardeners' grounds, to a considerable extent, enliven our back two months ago, towards midnight,—the eventful hour when church-yards yawn !—one of my female neighbours descried at the extremity of the garden grounds, in an extensive meadow, (flanked by the parish work house on the one hand, and an old windmill on the other) a number of strange lights, which continued for a considerable time, alternately to twinkle and disappear. Such a sight, you must allow, and at such ait hour, was truly alarming ! with the same solicitude that a Galileo, cr a Herschel, would watch the heavens, for a new star or comet, did my friend, assisted by her servant, sit up night after night, to trace the orbits of these phenomena ; which regu larly appeared about the chosen hour ; and their number in creased, with several other signs of a portentous aspect. At length, the secret was revealed, in confidence, to a dozen or two of the female branches of the neighbourhood ; and manifold in deed were the theories formed, as to the nature of these strange appearances, and direful was the alarm on account of them. Every other topic of conversation at the tea-table became insipid., ` The family concerns of the parish got a respite :—The new-lights alone attracted netice ; and at length all agreed that Ghosts they must be; but the perplexing difficulty still remained, to solve what kind of Ghosts ! I, at length, (from the circumstance, I presume, of wearing spectacles,) was invited to sit up one night to examine them; but tIP.3 I declined, treating the subject with the ridicule I thought it deserved ; for little, indeed, did I then conjecture what the result would be. Thus matters rested, until one of the late beautifully-serene Gala nights at Vauxhall, awakening about midnight, the thought came into my mind, t hat it was a favourable opportunity for observation. So up I got, and though the rain was pouring from the heavens, the lights were in the field, sure enough. 1 soon counted a dozen. Some times they formed into clusters, and shot across the meadow. Sometimes they twinkled bright and clear, and, anon, dull and vapoury. At length I crept to bed, not a little puzzled to account satisfactorily for the objects I had seen. On making my report the following morning, I wished to pass off the matter, by saying, that the lights were mere Ignisjatuuses, produced by the swam piness of the ground. Still, the ladies persevered in the idea of their being spirits; and one old dame, a bit of a politician, threw out a hint that these appearances might be the ghosts of the late idatinistration, forming some plans in the event of a change in state affairs; and the only material objection to this idea was, that the lights appeared rather too bright I I ventured to suggest, that the existence at all of such things as ghosts was very doubtful; but, in the twinkling of an eye, the Witch of Endor, from Scripture, and the testimony of that great man Dr. Johnson, the Leviathan of Literature, were adduced to overwhelm my puny reasonings ; and finding, even could I have proved the non-existence of ghosts, that this would be likely to produce more uneasiness and disquiet than an the ghosts that ever yet appeared, I gave in completely to the, ladies, adding that these newly-appeared spirits inuat t o f kiaattutiass isee, 'LIE NATIONAL EGISTER. 4 9 1 for that I was convinceed :zone but such as had survivctl •!:e ,flood, could have stood out under the rain of the past Having thus argued the matter with the fair ones, I resolved, in my own mind, to 1. ave it no longer in doubt, what kind of ghosts had lately visited us; and accordingly that very night, when 1_ observed the sprites in full glee, towards midnight, I buttoned up my coat, to prevent cold front any extra perspiration, and ad vanced to the scene of action, accompanied by a favourite cudgel. In this friend, I had the fullest confidence, for I knew that with fair play, his reasonings with flesh and blood would be impressive; and I felt convinced that the large serpent's head, with two glaring red eyes, which was carved at the top of it, wouhi (pc rate as a powerful charm to put a whole army of hop•gublins to flight ! Turning the corner of the fast house, I came in view of the fatal spot, and there, as visible as life, the light% appeared ! I still:ven tured on until within a few yards of one of them. It had very much the appearance of the flame of a candle, a few inches front the ground, and generally moved in an horizontal position, but frequently, for a moment or two, became stationary. I lo: ked keenly through the field, but man, or woman, I could diseever none. Home I speeded, not a little pleased with the safe ii•sue of the re centre. By some mean or other, a neighbouring lady became acquainted with my intended visit to the field ; and the good soul sat at her window for the hour, to witness the conthet; and not seeing me return that night, she sent the following morning to enquire after my welfare ; for she verily believed , that I had been devoured by these lerriblo creatures 1 I soon con vinced her I was safe, hut the particulars of my discovery only spread fresh alarms.—The lights from night to night still exhibited all their terrors : consultation upon consultation was held ; and at length, the valorous resolution formed, by a party or two oi the ladies, (let history perpetuate their fame !) each headed by a matron of from 50 to 60, to undertake, atone, *a Visit to the field! It was in vain that I urged they might repent of it:: mkt• night arrives, and the elves begin their mignight gambols. The fair warriors advance! " They move on" (I.lte - ttie army of fallen angels in Milton, Ist Book,) " breathing . united force,' but not, (1.1:e them) " in Silence I" Fluttering; ind*ubtftil, they proclaim their' eftinl — to every straler they meet. At length a little boy clears the parish of the ghosts in the twinkling of an eye, and re-animates the ladies' fainting spirits, by assuring them, that these dreadful lights Were 44 Fiaerfneleg each with a LANTHORN, catching worth s for: Eels !" • And thus, Sir, after two months fear and perturbation of mind, the same simple recipe that would kill eleven ontof twelve of all. the ghosts in the world, suc.Anded 7)y :inn noble intrepidity of these ladies, to put to iiniecdiate flight a btot)d of hot.gotilins that had attempted to form a new colony in the parhh . of Lambeth; and that within a few yards of his Grace the Archbishop! • As this recipe—" a 9n , mzent's rational enttary and Pfection"-;-• is a very e•ficacious one in all ghostly at well as bodily Commo tions, I trust to your kindness to give it an extensiv_e circulation ! am, Sir, yours, &c. A CONSTANT kr,Aluk. KENSINGTON, July 29, 1811. . A few days ago, a person of the name of 'Sumer, settein of 13ishopsgate-street Church, hung himself in a paroxysm of dos pondency. The deceased had lately united himself in matri mony with a young lady, who was the proprietor of a medicine shop near the Royal Exchange, which was considered a benefl. cial business; and it is said, consequently hoped to find his wife tolerably easy in her circumstances; however, be soon found the fact to be otherwise, and that his new partner vas in debt at least 15001. From the reproaches which took place on the occa=ion, and other causes, her mind fell a victim to despair, and ultimately it was found necessary to confine. her in a private receptacle for lunatics. In this state - Of things, the creditors made an arrangement of their affairs, which included an annuity from the business to the husband and wife, with which.the for mer seemed satisfied ; however, the same evening on which the arrangement was made, the unfortunate sexton :ought P.ll uir timely grave. The verilis;t l ou the sitting of a Coronet s la eiticit, Was Lt4;facy. . . , . , :~