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APPARITIONS;

OR,

THE MYSTERY OF

Ghosts, Hobgoblins,

AND

HAUNTED HOUSES,

_DEVELOPED_.

***

"Animum rege."




     "This Collection of Stories is well chosen, and affords a
     fund of amusement that is cheap at the price of five
     shillings. By putting such a book as this into the hands of
     children, parents will more effectually guard their minds
     against weak credulity, than by grave philosophic
     admonition."                _Monthly Review, October 1814._


Printed by Macdonald and Son, Cloth Fair, Smithfield




[Illustration:

H Corbould _delint_ C Knight _sculpt_ 1814

_The Haunted Beach._]




  APPARITIONS;

  OR, THE MYSTERY OF
  Ghosts,
  _Hobgoblins_, _and Haunted Houses_,
  DEVELOPED.

  BEING A COLLECTION OF
  ENTERTAINING STORIES,
  _FOUNDED ON FACT_,
  And selected for the purpose of

  ERADICATING THOSE FEARS, WHICH THE IGNORANT, THE WEAK,
  AND THE SUPERSTITIOUS, ARE BUT TOO APT TO ENCOURAGE,
  FOR WANT OF PROPERLY EXAMINING INTO THE CAUSES
  OF SUCH ABSURD IMPOSITIONS.

  ***

  BY JOSEPH TAYLOR.

  [Illustration]

  _SECOND EDITION, ENLARGED._

  ***

  London:
  PRINTED FOR LACKINGTON, ALLEN, AND CO.
  FINSBURY SQUARE.

  ***

  1815.




INTRODUCTION.


The subsequent little Work owes its rise and progress to very trifling
circumstances.

In the early part of my life, having read many books in favour of Ghosts
and Spectral Appearances, the recollection remained so strong in my
mind, that, for _years_ after, the dread of phantoms bore irresistible
sway. This dread continued till about my twenty-third year, when the
following simple affair fully convinced me, how necessary it was
_thoroughly_ to investigate _every thing_ that tended to supernatural
agency, lest idle fear should gain a total ascendancy over my mind.

About this period, I had apartments in a large old-fashioned country
mansion. From my bed-chamber was a secret door leading to a private
staircase, which communicated with some of the lower rooms. This door
was fastened both within and without; consequently all fear of intrusion
from that quarter was entirely removed. However, at times, I could not
help ruminating on the malpractices that _might_ have been committed by
evil-disposed persons, through this communication; and "busy meddling
fancy" was fertile in conjuring up imaginary horrors. Every thing,
however, was quiet, and agreeable to my wishes, for some months after my
arrival. One moonlight night, in the month of June, I retired to my bed,
full of thought, but slept soundly till about one o'clock; when I awoke,
and discovered, by the help of the moon which shone full in my room, a
tall figure in white, with arms extended, at the foot of my bed. Fear
and astonishment overpowered me for a few seconds; I gazed on it with
terror, and was afraid to move. At length I had courage to take a
_second_ peep at this disturber of my rest, and still continued much
alarmed, and irresolute how to act. I hesitated whether to speak to the
figure, or arouse the family. The first idea I considered as a dangerous
act of heroism; the latter, as a risk of being laughed at, should the
subject of my story not prove supernatural. Therefore, after taking a
_third_ view of the phantom, I mustered up all my resolution, jumped out
of bed, and boldly went up to the figure, grasped it round and round,
and found it incorporeal. I then looked at it again, and felt it again;
when, reader, judge of my astonishment--this ghostly spectre proved to
be nothing more than a large new flannel dressing-gown which had been
sent home to me in the course of the day, and which had been hung on
some pegs against the wainscot at the foot of my bed. One arm
accidentally crossed two or three of the adjoining pegs, and the other
was nearly parallel by coming in contact with some article of furniture
which stood near. Now the mystery was developed: this dreadful
hobgoblin, which a few minutes before I began to think was an aerial
being, or sprite, and which must have gained admission either through
the key-hole, or under the door, turned out to be my own garment. I
smiled at my groundless fears, was pleased with any resolution, returned
light-hearted to my bed, and moralized nearly the whole of the night on
the simplicity of a great part of mankind in being so credulous as to
believe every idle tale, or conceive every noise to be a spectre,
without first duly examining into causes.

This very trifling accident was of great service to me as I travelled
onward through life. Similar circumstances transpired. Screams, and
shades, I encountered; which always, upon due investigation, ended in
"trifles light as air."

Nor did the good end here. My story circulated, and put other young men
upon the alert, to guard against similar delusions. They likewise
imparted to me their ghostly encounters, and those I thought deserving
of record I always committed to writing; and, as many of them are well
authenticated facts, and both instructive and amusing, they form a part
of the volume now presented to the Public