Apparition of a Ghost to a miller to discover a bidden murder. From Webster on Witchcraft, 8vo.

ABOUT the year of our Lord, 1632, (as near as I

can remember) near unto Chester-in-the-Street, there lived one Walker, a yeoman of good estate, and a widower who had a young woman to his kinswoman that kept his house, who was by the neighbours suspected to be with child; and was towards the dark of the evening one night sent away with one Mark Sharpe, who was a collier, or one that digged coals uuder ground, and one that had been born in Blackburn-Hundred, in Lancashire: and so she was not heard of a long time and little or no note, was made aboutit latheavine ter time after, one James Graham, or Grime, to su in that country they call them) being a miller, and living about two miles from the place where Walker lived, was one night alone very late in the mill grading corn; and at about twelve or one o'clock at night he came down stairs, having been putting corn in the hopper, the mill doors being fast shut, there stood a woman upon the midst of the floor with her hair about her head hanging down all bloody, with five large wounds on her head. He being much affrighted and amazed, began to bless himself, and at last asked her who she was, and what she wanted? To which she

said

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said, I am the spirit of such a woman, who lived with Walker; and being got with child by him, he promised to send me to a private place, where I should be well looked to, until I was brought to bed, and wel again, and then I should come again and keep his house.

And accordingly, said the apparition, I was one night late sent away with one Mark Sharpe, who, upon a moor (naming a place the miller knew) slew me with a pick (such as men dig coals withal) and gave me these five wounds, and after threw my body into a coal pit hard by, and hid the pick under a bank; and his shoes and stockings being bloody he endeavoured to wash them, but seeing the blood would not wash out, he hid them there. And the apparition further told the miller that he must be the man to reveal it, or else she must still appear and haunt him. The miller returned home very sad and heavy, but spoke not oneword of what he had seen, but eschewed as much as he could to stay in the mill within night without com. pany thinking thereby to escape the seeing again of that frightful apparition,

But notwithstanding, one night when it began to be dark, the apparition met him again, and seemed very fierce and cruel, and threatened him, that if he did not reveal the murder, she would continually pursue and haunt him, Yet for all this, he still concealed it until St. Thomas-eve, before Christmas, when, being after sun set, walking in his garden, she appeared

again, and then so threatened and affrighted him, that he faithfully promised to reveal it next morning.

In the morning he went to a magistrate, and made the whole matter known, with all the circumstances: and diligent search being made the body was found in a coal pit, with five wounds in the head, and the pick and shoes, and stockings yet bloody, in every circumstance as the apparition had related unto the miller: Whereupon Walker, and Mark Sharpe were both apprehended, but would confess nothing. At the assizes following (I think it was Durham) they were arraign ed, found guilty, condemned, and executed, but I could never hear that they confessed the fact. There were some who reported, that the apparition did ap. pear to the judge, or foreman of the jury, (who was alive at Chester-in-the-Street, about ten years ago,) as I have been credibly informed.

CAPTAIN Henry Bell, in his narrative prefixed to

Luther's Table Talk, printed in England in 1652: after having mentioned the mystery and providence of the discovery of it under ground, in Germany, where it had lain hid fifty-two years, relates the following as.. tonishing admonition relating to the translating it into English.

E 2

CASPAR

CASPAR VAN SPAR, a german gentleman, having, as before observed, recovered the copy from the worms, desired Captain Bell, with whom he was well acquainted, while he was the agent for King James I. on the continent, to translate it into Eng'ish, and publish it in London for the advancement of religion; but Cap tain Bell was always somehow most unaccountably hindered from prosecuting that work in such sort as to oring it to a proper conclusion, being prevented by such intervening business as his public occupation re quired him to execute.

About six weeks after he had received the German copy, being well in health, and in bed with his wife, between twelve and one of the clock, there appeared to him standing at the side of the bed, an ancient man eloathed in a light coloured habit, and of a most reverend aspect, having a broad and white beard, which hung as low as his girdle, who smiling at him said, in a gentle manner of rebuke,

"Will you not take

time to translate that book which is sent you out of "Germany? If you do not, I will shortly hereafter "provide you both time and place to do it ;" and then instantly vanished.

This extraordinary vision affrighted him so much that he fell into an extreme sweat; so that his wife awaking, and finding him all over wet, she asked hi what he ailed? He then related to her his vision, and the remarkable message attending it. But Captain

Bell not paying much attention to the

matter after

wards

wards, time wore it off his memory, and he paid no more regard to what he had seen and heard than if it had been a mere dream.

However, he had soon reason to recollect the old man's words, for soon after being at his lodgings in King's street, Westminster, at dinner with his wife, two messengers came from the Council Board, with a warrant to carry him to the Gate house, there to be confined till farther orders from the Lords of the Privy Council. Upon this warrant he was detained ten whole years a close prisoner, whereof he spent five in the translation of the aforementioned work; having good cause to be mindful of the old man's saying, “I "will shortly provide for you both time and place to "translate it."

This narrative is extracted from the preface of Luther's Table Talk, printed in 1652, and from what Mr. Aubery observes upon the story, which he briefly relates, it appears, that, whatsoever was pretended for the cause of his confinement, yet the true reason of the Captain's commitment was, because he was urgent with the Lord Treasurer for his arrears which amount. ed to a great sum; he was unwilling to pay, and to be freed from his clamours, hit upon the scheme of holding him in prison..