GHOSTS AND GHOST-SEERS.

(From Ainsworth's Magazine for February last.)

[Concluded from page 226.]

"CLOSELY allied to this, are also the phenomena of warnings, double dreaming, and wraiths; that is, the seeing a person in the moment of death, in a place where bodily he is not, and of which there are few persons who have not heard amongst their friends and acquaintance. Among the numerous instances which Mrs. Crowe has collected of wellauthenticated cases of all these phenomena, as well also of what the Germans called Döppelgangers,' or doubles, there is one which possesses additional interest, from its illustrating the fact that children have not naturally a dread of apparitions; on the contrary, viewed in the light in which the German philosophers would insist upon, the visits of spirits should, in most cases, be considered as a favour conferred.

"A lady with her child embarked on board a vessel at Jamaica, for the purpose of visiting her friends in England, leaving her husband behind her quite well. It was a sailing-packet; and they had been some time at sea, when, one evening, whilst the child was kneeling before her, saying his prayers, previously to going to rest, he suddenly said, looking eagerly to a particular spot in the cabin, 'Mamma, Papa!' 'Nonsense, my dear!' the mother answered; 'You know your papa is not here!' 'He is, indeed, mamma,' returned the child, he is looking at us now!' Nor could she convince him to the contrary. When she went on deck, she mentioned the circumstance to the captain, who thought it so strange, that he said he would note down the date of the occurrence. The lady begged him not to do so, saying, it was attaching a significance to it which would make her miserable; he did it, however, and shortly after her arrival in England, she learnt that her husband had died exactly at that period."

"The instances of the clinging of spirits to earth, after their release from the bondage of flesh, are explained in part upon the principle of an imperfect etherisation of that spirit.

"Let us now fancy this dispossessed soul entering on its new career, amazed, and no more able than when it was in the body to accommodate itself at once to conditions of existence for which it was unprepared. If its aspirations had previously been heavenward, these conditions would not be altogether new, and it would speedily find itself at home in a sphere in which it had dwelt before; for, as I have formerly said, a spirit must be where its thoughts and affections are, and the soul whose thoughts and affections had been directed to heaven, would only awaken after death into a more perfect and unclouded heaven. But imagine the contrary of all this. Conceive what this awakening must be to an earth-bound spirit-to one altogether unprepared for its new home-carrying no light within it-floating in the dim obscure-clinging to the earth, where all its affections were garnered up; for where

its treasure is, there shall it be also. It will find its condition evil, more or less, according to the degree of its moral light or darkness, and in proportion to the amount of the darkness will be its incapacity to seek for light. Now, there seems nothing offensive to our notions of the Divine goodness in this conception of what awaits us when the body dies. It appears to me, on the contrary, to offer a more comprehensible and coherent view than any other that has been presented to me; yet, the state I have depicted is very much like the Hades of the Greeks and Romans. It is the middle state, on which all souls enter, a state in which there are many mansions—that is, there are innumerable states-probably not permanent, but ever progressive or retrogade; for we cannot conceive of any moral state being permanent, since we know perfectly well that ours is never so; it is always advancing or retroceding. When we are not improving, we are deteriorating; and so it must necessarily be with us hereafter."

"This theory, if not very tangible, has at least the merit of being very beautiful. Its physical illustrations cannot be appreciated without a reference to the luminous appearances exhibited in certain states of animal magnetism, in bodies after death, over graves, still more to the Palinganesia of the alchemists, in which the original figure was reproduced from the ashes; considerations which would carry us into discussions of far too lengthy a nature, but to which we may probably return at some future period. It is not, however, solely where the affections are concerned, that spirits cling. The apparitions of deceased persons haunt a locality or a person, or persons, to obtain rites of burial, to denounce crime, to obtain justice for the living, as a punishment appa rently for their own sins, as well as a visitation upon others, and for a variety of objects, some of which are not always readily understood. Here is an example of troubled spirits which would be well adapted for pictorial effect:

"There is an old saying, that we should never lie down to rest at enmity with any human being; and the story of the ghost of the Princess Anna of Saxony, who appeared to Duke Christian of Saxe-Eisenburg, is strongly confirmatory of the wisdom of this axiom.

"Duke Christian was sitting one morning in his study, and he was surprised by a knock at his door-an unusual circumstance, since the guards as well as the people in waiting were always in the ante-room. He, however, cried, 'Come in!' when there entered, to his amazement, a lady in an ancient costume, who, in answer to his inquiries, told him that she was no evil spirit, and would do him no harm; but that she was one of his ancestors, and had been the wife of Duke John Casimer, of SaxeCoburg. She then related that she and her husband had not been on good terms at the period of their deaths, and that although she had sought a reconciliation, he had been inexorable; pursuing her with unmitigated hatred, and injuring her by unjust suspicions; and that, consequently, although she was happy, he was still wandering in cold and darkness, betwixt time and eternity. She had, however, long known that one of their descendants was destined to effect this reconciliation for them, and they were rejoiced to find the time for it had at length arrived. She then gave the Duke eight days to consider if he were willing to perform this good office, and disappeared; whereupon he consulted a clergyman in whom he had great confidence, who, after finding the ghost's communications verified by a reference to the annals of the family, advised him to comply with her request.

"As the Duke had yet some difficulty in believing it was really a ghost he had seen, he took care to have his door well watched; she, however, entered at the appointed time, unseen by the attendants; and, having received the Duke's promise, she told him that she would return with her husband on the following night; for that, though she could come by day, he could not; that then, having heard the circumstances, the Duke must arbitrate between them, and then unite their hands, and bless them. The door was still watched, but nevertheless the apparitions both came, the Duke Casimer in full royal costume, but of a livid paleness; and when the wife had told her story, he told his. Duke Christian decided for the lady, in which judgment Duke Casimer fully acquiesced. Christian then took the ice-cold hand of Casimer and laid it in that of his wife, which felt of a natural heat. They then prayed and sang together, and the apparitions disappeared, having foretold that Duke Christian would ere long be with them. The family records showed that these people had lived about one hundred years before Duke Christian's time, who himself died in 1707, two years after these visits of his ancestors. He desired to be buried in quick lime, it is supposed, from an idea that it might prevent the ghost walking the earth.

"The costume in which they appeared was precisely that they had worn when alive; as was ascertained by a reference to their portraits.

"The expression that her husband was wandering in cold and darkness, betwixt time and eternity, is here very worthy of observation; as are the circumstances that his hand was cold while hers was warm, and also the greater privilege she seemed to enjoy. The hands of the unhappy spirits appear, I think, invariably to communicate a sensation of cold.

"I have heard of three instances, of persons now alive, who declare that they hold continual intercourse with their deceased partners. One of these is a naval officer, whom the author of the book lately published, called 'The Unseen World,' appears to be acquainted with. The second is a professor in a college in America, a man of eminence and learning, and full of activity and energy, yet he assured a friend of mine that he receives constant visits from his departed wife, which afford him great satisfaction. The third example is a lady in this country. She is united to a second husband, has been extremely happy in both marriages, and declares that she receives frequent visits from her first. Oberlin, the good pastor of Ban de la Roche, asserted the same thing of himself. His wife came to him frequently after her death; was seen by the rest of his household as well as himself; and warned him beforehand of many events that occurred.”*

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'Also another, to illustrate the anxiety which appears to follow some in their spiritual existence, to have such a restitution made of property unjustly obtained, as may afford comfort and satisfaction to their spiritual consciences.

"Dr. Bretton, who was late in life appointed rector of Ludgate, lived previously in Herefordshire, where he married the daughter of Dr. Santer, a woman of great piety and virtue. This lady died; and one day as a former servant of hers, to whom

* Our readers are referred to this Periodical for 1840, page 151, where they will find an account of a visit which the present Editor of the Intellectual Repository paid to the venerable Oberlin, in which the truth of the statement above made was confirmed, together with various particulars, by Oberlin himself.

she had been attached, and who had since married, was nursing her child in her own cottage, the door opened, and a lady entered so exactly resembling the late Mrs. Bretton in dress and appearance, that she exclaimed, 'If my mistress were not dead, I should think you were she!' Whereupon the apparition told her that she was so, and requested her to go with her, as she had business of importance to communicate. Alice objected, being very much frightened, and entreated her to address herself rather to Dr. Bretton, but Mrs. B. answered that she had endeavoured to do so, and had been several times in his room for that purpose, but he was still asleep, and she had no power to do more towards awaking him than once uncover his feet. Alice then pleaded that she had nobody to leave with her child, but Mrs. B. promising that the child should sleep till her return, she at length obeyed the summons, and, having accompanied the apparition into a large field, the latter bade her observe how much she measured off with her feet, and, having taken a considerable compass, she bade her go and tell her brother that all that portion had been wrongfully taken from the poor by their father, and that he must restore it to them, adding, that she was the more concerned about it since her name had been used in the transaction. Alice then asking how she should satisfy the gentleman of the truth of her mission, Mrs. B. mentioned to her some circumstance known only to herself and this brother. She then entered into much discourse with the woman, and gave her a great deal of good advice, remaining till, hearing the sound of horse-bells, she said, 'Alice, I must be seen by none but yourself,' and then disappeared. Whereupon Alice proceeded to Dr. Bretton, who admitted that he had actually heard some one walking about his room, in a way he could not account for. On mentioning the thing to the brother he laughed heartily, till Alice communicated the secret which constituted her credentials, upon which he changed his tone, and declared himself ready to make the required restitution."

This story further exhibits, in a remarkable manner, the different receptivity of persons, and serves to explain why it is that apparitions often address themselves to a second or third person, instead of the one immediately concerned."

TO THE EDITOR.

NEW CHURCH LITURGIES.

SIR, -AS you have admitted an article on Liturgies in your June number, I beg permission also to "give my opinion." The writer endeavours at the outset to give an impartial view of some of the arguments which have been raised on the respective merits or demerits of written and extemporaneous prayers, offered up in public. I beg to notice some of these arguments or assumptions, whether presented as those of others or as the writer's own.

In regard to extemporaneous prayers. A suggestion is put forth, that it is not safe to trust (I presume) any minister, however experienced, (or else it is meant that to avoid invidiousness in restricting some to written prayer, it is well to restrict all)-because extempore prayers

will bear some considerable analogy to the spiritual state of the officiator, and, in the same degree, it is assumed, be unsuited to the state of the hearer. Now, I have always heard that those services are most vitally effective which come most directly from the minister's "state,"—which means, I presume, from the affections of his will, rather than from the relatively external and artificial contrivance of his understanding. Does not the same objection lie against sermons if they are not previously published, so that it may be decided before they are used, whether they are suitable to all states, or are merely portraits of the minister's individual state? And why should the delineation of a good and true state in the minister's mind be unsuited to the good and true states of his hearers? Is there not a general congruity between all good people of the same genuine doctrine? Is not this the ground of spiritual brotherly union?

Again. It is said, that without a previous knowledge of what is to be uttered, the people are not so well prepared to join in the prayers devotionally; also, that they do not know until they have seen them in print, whether they will accord with their ideas of truth. The first of these suggestions I deem, when the facts are duly analysed, fallacious; the second of them is simply disparaging to our leaders of worship, and, indeed, to all of us, as if our sentiments were so unfixed, so unfounded on the Rock of Divine Truth, that it is quite a chance whether truth or falsehood drop from our lips. If this be the case with chosen leaders, what must it be with those who are assumed, usually, to be less qualified to exhibit truths than those chosen for the express purpose? But is it a fact, that people are more fully prepared to join devotionally in prayer because they have seen it in print, or have the words before their eyes? I think not. The worshiperscertainly may recite them very devotionally with the minister, in which case they no more join with him than he joins with them. Each is his own independent leader. This may be thought desirable by some, but I cannot admit that it is the more devotional method. But if the hearer, although he knows beforehand the words to be used, does not look at them, or recite them from his book, the sense does not enter his mind actively in any way the least different from the hearing of extempore prayer. Thought and feeling are as quick in responding in the one case as in the other. Such is my experience, who prefer listening to the liturgy, to reciting the words. The practical fact is simply this: If the officiator's extempore prayer is more satisfactory to the hearers than a liturgical form, common sense suggests the course to be taken. If the reverse be the case, then the liturgy should be preferred.