Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-02
THE SUPERNATURAL.

Philadelphia journal in an article upon the
supernatural, refers to the famous apparition
which Is said to have appeared to Lord Lyttel-
ton, and ascribes 1t, no doubt with good reason,
10 an excited Imagination.
There is another tale, reported by Lord Lyt-
elton 1--WE mean, Of course, the younger of that
name) which shows the tendency in the minds
OF even the shrewdest men of the world to give
respectful audience to the marvellous and su-
pernstural. 1t may be found in the twenty
first Of Lord Lytteton's letters.
He says, that in the early part of the life of
-, one Of his friends, he attended a hunt
ing club, when a well mounted stranger of gen.
teel address, joined the club, and rode with a
degree OF courage and address, that astonished
everybody. The animal he rode is described as
one OF amazing powers and endurance; the hunts
man who was left far behind swOre that the
man and his hsrse were devils from hell. At
ter the sport, he was invited to dinner and as
tOnished the company as much by his conyersa-
uonal powers and the elegance of his manners
as by his equestrian powers. lie was, says
Lord Lytteiton, an orator, n poet, a painter, q
musician, a lawyer, a divine in short, he was
everything, and the magic of his discourse kept
the drowSy spOrtsmen awake long after their
usual hour AT length they retired, but had
scarcely closed their eyes, when they were
awakened by the most terrible shrieks, resound-
ing through the house. Inquiring of the ser
wants they were told that these horrid sounds
proceeded from the strangers chamber; and on
approaching his room, deeper groans of despair
and shriller shrieks Of agony astonished and
terrified them. After knocking at the door, he
answered them as one just awaked from sleep,
declared he had heard no noise, and in rather
angry tone, desired not to be disturbed again.
Ihe company accordingly retired and had
scarce begun to communicate their sentiments
10 each other, when a repetition of the most hor-
rid sounds broke in upon the Conversation
yells, screams, shrieks, which, from the hOr-
ror OF them, seemed to issue from the thrOats of
damned and tortured spirits" They immedi-
ately followed the sounds and traced them to
the strangers chamber, the door of which they
instantly butst open, and found him on his knees
In bed, in the act of scOurging himself with the
most unrelenting severity, MS body streaming
with blood.
''On their seining his hand to stop the strokes,
he begged them in the most wringins tone of
voice, rs an act of mercy, that they would retire
assuring them that the cause of their disturb
ance was over, and that in the morning he
would acquaint them with the reasons of the
terrible cries they had heard, and the melan-
choly sight they saw. After repetition of en-
treaties, they retired and in the morning some
OF them went to his chamber, but he was not
there; and on examining the bed. they found il
TO be one gore of blood. Upon further inquiry
the grOomsman said, as soon as it was light the
gentleman came to the stable booted and spurred
desired his horse might be Immediately saddled
and appeared to be extremely impatient till it
was done, when he vaulted instantly into his
saddle, and rode out of the yard at full speed
Servants were Immediately dispatched into
every part of the surrounding country, but not
a single trace of him could be found; such
person had not been seen by any one, nor has
been since heard Of"
Lord LytteltOn proceeds to state that the cir
cumstanses Of this strange story were immedi-
ately committed to writing, and signed by all
who witnessed them, that the future credibility
of any one, who should think proper to relate
them, might be duly supported. Among those
who witnessed it were some Of the first men of
England.
The charm of this marvellous narrative, in
which Lord Lyttelton, who could not believe
Christianity, evidently suspected something su-
Pernatural, is somewhat dispelied by the fact
that, about the date Of the narrative, an Amer
lean gentleman by the name of Huger, of South
Carolina, visited England who was just such a
person as described above, as fine a horseman,
a man of very elegant manners and splendid
powers Of conversation, but who had the ugly
habit of whipping himself in his sleep, precisely
as described by Lord LytteltOn.