au account of it, which was published in the newspapers and Gentleman's Magazine, and undeceived the world.*

*The account was as follows: "On the night of the 1st of February, many gentlemen, eminent for their rank and character, were, by the invitation of the reverend 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, when they interrogated the father of the girl, who denied, in the strongest terms, any knowledge or belief of fraud.

"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 inquiring 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 other 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 o'clock, went into the chutch, and the gentleman, to

BOSWELL. "I do not know whether there are any well attested stories of the appearance of ghosts. You know there is a famous story of the appearance of Mrs. Veal, prefixed to Drelincourt on Death." JOHNSON. "I believe, sir, that is given up: I believe the woman declared, upon her death-bed, that it was a lie."* BOSWELL. "This objection is made against the truth of ghosts appearing; that if they are in a state of happiness, it would be a punishment to them to return to this world; and if they are in a state of misery, it would be giving them a respite." JOHNSON. "Why, sir, as the happiness or misery of embodied spirits does not depend upon place, but is intellectual, we cannot say they are less happy or less miserable by appearing upon earth.”

Another time, the subject of ghosts being introduced, Johnson told Boswell of a friend of his, au honest man, and a man of sense, having asserted

whom the promise was made, went with another 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 a particular noise, and that there is no agency of any higher

cause."

This fiction is known to be invented by Daniel Defoe, and was added to the second edition of the English transla. tion of Drelincourt's work, (which was originally written in French,) to make it sell. The first edition had it not.Malone.

VOL. II.

I

to him, that he had seen an apparition. Goldsmith said, he was assured by his brother, the reverend Mr. Goldsmith, that he also had seen one. General Oglethorpe related, that Prendergast, an officer in the duke of Marlborough's army, had mentioned to many of his friends, that he should die on a particular day: that upon that day a battle took place with the French; that after it was over, and Prendergast was still alive, his brother officers, while they were yet in the field, jestingly asked him where was his prophecy now? Prendergast gravely answered, "I shall die notwithstanding what you see." Soon afterwards, there came a shot from a French battery, to which the orders for a cessation of arms had not reached, and he was killed upon the spot. Colonel Cecil, who took possession of his effects, found in his pocket-book the following solemn entry:

[Here the date.]

"Dreamt-or

sir John Friend meets me:" (here the very day on which he was killed was mentioned.) Prendergast had been convicted with sir John, who was executed for high treason. General Oglethorpe said, he was with colonel Cecil, when Pope came and inquired into the truth of this story, which made a great noise at the time, and was then confirmed by the colonel.

Johnson had said on a former occasion, he knew one friend, who was an honest man, and a sensible

• Here was a blank, which may be filled up thus:was told by an apparition :"-the writer being probably uncertain whether he was asleep or awake, when his mind was impressed with the solemn presentiment, with which the fact afterwards happened so wonderfully to correspond.

man, who told him he had seen a ghost-old Mr. Edward Cave, the printer, at St. John's Gate. He said, Mr. Cave did not like to talk of it, and seemed to be in great horror whenever it was mentioned. BOSWELL." Pray, sir, what did he say was the appearance?" JOHNSON. "Why, sir, something of a shadowy being."

Boswell mentioned witches, and asked him what they properly meant. JOHNSON. "Why, sir, they properly mean those who make use of the aid of evil spirits." BOSWELL. "There is, no doubt, sir, a general report and belief of their having existed." JOHNSON. "You have not only the general report and belief, but you have many voluntary solemn confessions." He did not affirm any thing positively upon a subject, which it is the fashion of the times to laugh at as a matter of absurd credulity : he only seemed willing, as a candid inquirer after truth, however strange and inexplicable, to show that he understood what might be urged for it.

No. XIX.

FUTURE STATE.-DEATH.

BOSWELL, one night, finding him in a very good humour, ventured to lead him to the subject of our situation in a future state, having much curiosity to know his notions on that point. JOHNSON.

Why, sir, the happiness of an unembodied spirit will consist in a consciousness of the favour of God, in the contemplation of truth, and in the possession of felicitating ideas." BOSWELL. "But, sir, is

there any harm in forming to ourselves conjectures as to the particulars of our happiness, though the Scripture has said but very little on the subject?

We know not what we shall be.'" JOHNSON. "Sir, there is no harm. What philosophy suggests to us on this topic is probable; what Scripture tells us is certain. Dr. Henry More has carried it as far as philosophy cau. You may buy both his theological and philosophical works in two volumes folio, for about eight shillings." BosWELL. “One of the most pleasing thoughts is, that we shall see our friends again." JOHNSON."Yes, sir; but you must consider, that when we are become purely rational, many of our friendships will be cut off. Many friendships are formed by a community of sensual pleasures: all these will be cut off. We form many friendships with bad men, because they have agreeable qualities, and they can be useful to us; but, after death, they can no longer be of use to us. We form many friendships by mistake, imagining people to be different from what they really are after death, we shall see every one in a true light. Then, sir, they talk of our meeting our relations but then all relationship is dissolved; and we shall have no regard for one person more than another, but for their real value. However, we shall either have the satisfaction of meeting our friends, or be satisfied without meeting them." BOSWELL." Yet, sir, we see in Scripture, that Dives still retained an anxious concern about his brethren." JOHNSON. "Why, sir, we must either suppose that passage to be metaphorical, or hold, with many divines, and all the Purgatorians, that departed souls do not all at once arrive at the ut

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