time, his belief that her words and intentions were perfectly harmless, and that he had no apprehension of being hurt by her, let her wish her worst to him.  She was rather more angry than pleased at the well-meaning sheriffs scepticism.  “I would be laith to wish ony ill either to you or yours, sir,” she said; “for I kenna how it is, but something aye comes after my words when I am ill-guided and speak ower fast.”  In short, she was obstinate in claiming an influence over the destiny of others by words and wishes, which might have in other times conveyed her to the stake, for which her expressions, their consequences, and her disposition to insist upon their efficacy, would certainly of old have made her a fit victim.  At present the story is scarcely worth mentioning, but as it contains material resembling those out of which many tragic incidents have arisen.

So low, in short, is now the belief in witchcraft, that perhaps it is only received by those half-crazy individuals who feel a species of consequence derived from accidental coincidences, which, were they received by the community in general, would go near, as on former occasions, to cost the lives of those who make their boast of them.  At least one hypochondriac patient is known to the author, who believes himself the victim of a gang of witches, and ascribes his illness to their charms, so that he wants nothing but an indulgent judge to awake again the old ideas of sorcery.

LETTER X.

Other Mystic Arts independent of Witchcraft—­Astrology—­Its Influence during the 16th and 17th Centuries—­Base Ignorance of those who practised it—­Lilly’s History of his Life and Times—­Astrologer’s Society—­Dr. Lamb—­Dr. Forman—­Establishment of the Royal Society—­Partridge—­Connexion of Astrologers with Elementary Spirits—­Dr. Dun—­Irish Superstition of the Banshie—­Similar Superstition in the Highlands—­Brownie—­Ghosts—­Belief of Ancient Philosophers on that Subject—­Inquiry into the respect due to such Tales in Modern Times—­Evidence of a Ghost against a Murderer—­Ghost of Sir George Villiers—­Story of Earl St. Vincent—­Of a British General Officer—­Of an Apparition in France—­Of the Second Lord Lyttelton—­Of Bill Jones—­Of Jarvis Matcham—­Trial of two Highlanders for the Murder of Sergeant Davis, discovered by a Ghost—­Disturbances at Woodstock, anno 1649—­Imposture called the Stockwell Ghost—­Similar Case in Scotland—­Ghost appearing to an Exciseman—­Story of a Disturbed House discovered by the firmness of the Proprietor—­Apparition at Plymouth—­A Club of Philosophers—­Ghost Adventure of a Farmer—­Trick upon a Veteran Soldier—­Ghost Stories recommended by the Skill of the Authors who compose them—­Mrs. Veal’s Ghost—­Dunton’s Apparition Evidence—­Effect of Appropriate Scenery to Encourage a Tendency to Superstition—­Differs at distant Periods of Life—­Night at Glammis Castle about 1791—­Visit to Dunvegan in 1814.