seems, not of words, but of action.

The officer, by him told that he did not take fees in his proin conjunction with another ruffian, one of the fession to be made a jest of like a common forstrongest of the three he had brought, com- tune-teller, but to do real good to those who menced the assault. As good luck would have consulted him, as far as he was able by his preit, he warded off their first blows, it seems, with dictions; that he was treated with more respect tolerable success, and a wine quart pot standing by persons of a higher condition, though her own upon the table, Duncan took to his arms, and at was very good, and so offered her guinea back again two or three quick blows, well managed, and with a bow and a smile. She had a little more geneclose laid in upon the assailants, felled them both rosity of spirit than not to be a little nettled at to the ground. Here it was that the maid dis- the proffer she had caused by so coarse an usage. covered her knowledge of it and privity to the She affected appearing grave a little, and told plot to the whole house; for she no sooner sees him she would be serious for the future, and the famous leader, the valiant captain, lie sprawl- asked him to set down her name, which she had ing on the floor with bleeding temples, but she neglected before to ask other questions that were shrieked out with all the voice she could exert, nothing to the purpose. He promised to write "Murder, murder, murder!" Alarmed at this it down, but pausing a little longer than ordinary outcry, the master and all the attendants of the about it, she returned to her former way of untavern scampered upstairs, burst into the room, civil merriment and ungallant raillery. She and found Duncan Campbell struggling with the repeated to him, in three or four little scraps of other two, and the quart pot still fast clenched paper, one after another, as fast as she could in his hand, which they were endeavouring to write them, the same words, viz.:-That he wrench from him. The drawers rescued him out could not tell her name, nor whether she was of their hands, and inquired into the matter. The maid, wife, or widow; and laughed as if she maid in a fright confessed the whole thing. The would split her sides, triumphing to the rest of officer and his associate rubbed their eyes as re- her companions over his ignorance and her own covering from a stunning sleep, reeled as they wit, as if she had posed him and put him to an went to rise, paid the reckoning, and slunk piti- entire stand. But see what this overweening fully away, or, as the rake's term for it is, they opinion of security ended in the man of the brushed off, and for all their odds had the worst second sight was not to be so easily baffled. of the lay. I, who had some authority with Mr Vexed at being so disturbed, and coming out of Campbell by reason of my years and the strict his brown study, he reaches the paper and begins acquaintance I had with his mother, when I came to write. Now it was the lady's turn to suffer; and found him in that pickle, and had the whole she had deserved hearty punishment, and it relation told me by the people of the house, came into her hands with the note to a degree of though I could not forbear pitying him within my severity (as you will perceive by the contents of own mind, took upon me to reprehend him, and it just now). She read it, and swooning away, told him that these hardships would by Provi- dropped from her chair. The whole room being dence be daily permitted to fall upon him (for he in a bustle, I that was in the outward chamber met with them twenty times) while he continued ran in. While Mr Campbell was sprinkling in that irregular way of living and spending his water in her face, a lady snatched up the note time, that might be so precious to himself and to read it, at which he seemed mightily dismany others, in drunkenness and debauchery;|| pleased. I therefore, who understood his signs, and I think the lessons I wrote down to him upon recovered it out of her hands by stratagem, and that head, though a little severe just at that ran to burn it, which I did so quick that I was juncture, were, notwithstanding, well timed, and not discovered in the curiosity, which I must did, as I guessed they would, make a more solid own I satisfied myself in by reading it first; a impression in him than at any other. In all these || curiosity raised too high by so particular an adscuffles (whether it is that being deaf and dumb venture, to be overcome in so little a time of an affront works deeper upon a man, and so ren- thought, as I was to keep it in my hands, and ders him far more fierce and resolute) it must be so I came by the knowledge of it myself without said that, though nature has been very kind in being informed by Mr Campbell. This shows making him very strong, robust, and active how a sudden curiosity, when there is not time withal, yet he has bore some shocks one would || given to think and correct it, may overcome a imagine beyond the strength of a man, having man as well as a woman; for I was never over sometimes got the better of five or six ruffians in curious in my life, and though I was pleased with rencounters of the like kind. the oddness of the adventure, I often blushed to myself since for the unmanly weakness of not being able to step with a note from one room to another, to the fireside, without peeping into the contents of it. The contents of it were these. " Madam, since you provoke me, your name is

The next banter he met with was in a gentler way from an unbelieving lady, and yet she came off with very ill success, and the banter turned all upon herself in the end.

A lady of distinction, whose name shall therefore be concealed in this place, came with two or You are no widow, you are no wife, and three of her special friends, who took her for the yet you are no maid; you have a child at nurse most merry, innocent, spotless virgin upon earth, at such a place, by such a gentleman, and you and whose modesty was never suspected in the were brought to bed in Leicestershire." The least by her relations or servants that were lady, convinced by this answer of his strange and nearest about her; after having rallied Mr mystical power, and pleased with his civility in Campbell with several frivolous questions, doubt-endeavouring to conceal from others the secret, ing his capacity, and vexing and teazing him with gay impertinences beyond all patience, was

after so many repeated provocations, though she showed great disorder for that day, became one

In

maid in exchange; for ladies at that time of day were not entered into that fashion of cloaking themselves. Then he wrote down that he should go out, and ought to send his maid in to undress them quite, and give the mistress her own clothes and the maid hers, and with a smile wrote down both their names and commended her contrivance; but after that it was remarked by the lady that he paid her less respect than she expected, and more to her footman, who was in gentleman's habit, whom he took by his side, and told a great many fine things; whereas he would tell the lady nothing further. The lady, nettled at this, wrote to him that she had vanity enough to believe that she might be distinguished from her maid in any dress; but that he had shown his want of skill in not knowing who that gentleman was. Mr Campbell told her her mistake in sharp terms; and begging her pardon, assured her he knew several chambermaids as genteel and as well born as her, and many mistresses more awkward and worse born than her maid; that he did not go, therefore, by the rule of guess and judging what ought to be, but by the rule of certainty, and the knowledge of what actually was. She, however, unsatisfied with that answer, perplexed him mightily to know who the man was. He answered, he would be a great man. The lady laughed scornfully, and said she wanted to know who he was, not what he would be. He answered again, he was her footman, but that she would have a worse. She grew warm, and desired to be informed why, since he knew the fellow's condition, he respected her so little and him so much; and accused him of want of practising manners if he had not want of knowledge. He answered, "Madam, since you will be asking questions too far, this footman will advance himself to the degree of a gentleman, and have a woman of distinction to his wife; while you will degrade yourself by a marriage to be the wife of a footman. His ambition is laudable, your condescension mean, there fore I give him the preference; I have given you fair warning and wholesome advice, you may avoid your lot by prudence, but his will certainly be what I tell you.'

of his constant attenders some time after, and would not take any step in her affairs without his advice, which, she often has said since, she found very much to her advantage. She was as serious in her dealings with him afterwards, and improved by being so, as she was gay and turbulent with him before, and smarted for it. fine, she was a thorough convert, and a votary of his; and the only jest she used afterwards to make concerning him was a civil witticism to his wife, to whom she was wont, every now and then, smiling, to address herself after this manner," Your husband, madam, is a devil, but he is a very handsome and a very civil one." Not long after this came another lady with a like intent to impose upon him, and was resolved, as she owned, to have laughed him to scorn, if she had succeeded in her attempt. She had very dexterously dressed herself in her woman's habit, and her woman in her own; her footman squired the new-made lady in a very gentlemanly dress, hired for the purpose of a disguise, from Monmouth street. The strange and unknown masqueraders entered Mr Campbell's room with much art. The fellow was by nature of a clean make and had a good look, and from following a genteel master when he was young, copied his gait a little, and had some appearance of a mien, and a tolerable good air about him. But this being the first time of his being so fine, and he a little vain in his temper, he over-acted his part: he strutted too much; he was as fond of his ruffles, his watch, his sword, his cane, and his snuff-box, as a boy of being newly breeched; and viewed them all too often to be thought the possessor of any such things long. The affectation of the chambermaid was insufferable; she had the toss of the head, the jut of the bum, the sidelong leer of the eye, the imperious look upon her lady, now degraded into her woman, that she was intolerable, and a person without the gift of the second sight would have guessed her to have been a pragmatical upstart, though it is very probable that during that time she fancied herself really better than her mistress. The mistress acted her part of maid the best, for it is easier for genteel modesty to act a low part than for affected vanity to act a high one. She kept This coming afterwards to pass exactly as was her distance like a servant, but would, to disguise predicted, and his disappointing so many that had a things the better, be every now and then pert, mind to impose upon him, has rendered him pretty according to their way, and give occasion to be free from such wily contrivances, since though chid. But there is an air of gentility in-born now and then they have happened, but still to the and in-bred to some people, and even when they mortification and disappointment of the conaim to be awkward, a certain grace will attend trivers. But as we have not pretended to say, all their minutest actions and gestures, and com- with regard to these things, that he has his mand love, respect, and veneration. I must genius always at his elbow or his back, to whis therefore own that there was not need of a man's per in his ear the names of persons, and such being a conjuror to guess who ought to be the little constant events as these; so, that we may lady and who the maid; but to know abso- not be deemed to give a fabulous account of his lutely who was the lady and who was the maid life and adventures, we think ourselves bound to did require that skill. For how many such real give the reader an insight into the particular ladies have we that are made so from such power and capacity which he has for bringing upstarts, and how many genteel waiting-women about these particular performances, especially of great descent, that are born with a grace about that of writing down names of strangers at first them, and are bred to good manners. Mr sight, which I do not doubt will be done to the Campbell's art made him positive in the case; satisfaction of all persons who shall read the suche took the patches from the face of the maid ceeding chapter concerning the gift of the and placed them on the mistress's; he pulled off second sight. her hood and scarf and gave it to the lady, and taking from the lady her riding-hood, gave it the

CHAPTER VII

CONCERNING THE SECOND SIGHT.

MR MARTIN lately published a book, entitled 'A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland, called by the Ancient Geographers, Hebrides.' It contains many curious particulars relating to the natural and civil history of those islands, with a map of them; and in his preface he tells us, that perhaps it is peculiar to those isles that they have never been described till now by any man that was a native of the country, or had travelled them as himself has done; and in the conclusion of the said preface he tells us he has given here such an account of the second sight as the nature of the thing will bear, which has always been reckoned sufficient among the unbiassed part of mankind; but for those that will not be satisfied they ought to oblige us with a new scheme by which we may judge of matters of fact. The chief particulars he has given us concerning the second sight are here set down, by way of abstract or epitome, that they may not be too tedious to the reader.

this faculty are more capable to judge of the design of a vision than a novice that is a seer. As an object appears in the day or night it will come to pass sooner or later accordingly.

6. If an object be seen early in the morning, which is not frequent, it will be accomplished in a few hours afterwards. If at noon, it will commonly be accomplished that very day; if in the evening, perhaps that night; if after candles be lighted, it will be accomplished that night. It is later always in accomplishment by weeks, months, and sometimes years, according to the time of the night the vision is seen.

7. When a shroud is perceived about one, it is a sure prognostic of death; the time is judged according to the height of it about the person; for if it be not seen above the middle, death is not to be expected for the space of a year, and perhaps some months longer; and as it is frequently seen to ascend higher towards the head, death is concluded to be at hand in a few days, if not hours, as daily experience confirms. Examples of this kind were shown the author, when the persons of whom the observations were made enjoyed perfect health.

1. In the second sight the vision makes such a lively impression on the seers, that they neither There was one instance lately of a prediction see nor think of anything else but the vision as of this kind, by a seer that was a novice, conlong as it continues; and then they appear pen-cerning the death of one of the author's acquainsive or jovial according to the object which was presented to them.

2. At the sight of a vision the eyelids of the person are erected, and the eyes continue staring till the object vanish, as has often been observed by the author and others present.

3. There is one in Skye, an acquaintance of whom observed, that when he sees a vision the inner part of his eyelids turn so far upwards, that, after the object disappears, he must draw them down with his fingers, and sometimes employs others to draw them down, which he finds to be much the easier way.

4. The faculty of the second sight does not lineally descend in a family, as some imagine, for he knows several parents that are endowed with it, but not their children, and so on the contrary. Neither is it acquired by any previous compact; and after a strict inquiry he could never learn from any among them that this faculty was communicable any way whatsoever.

tance; this was communicated to a few only, and with great confidence. The author being one of the number, did not in the least regard it till the death of the person, about the time fore told, confirmed to him the certainty of the prediction. The foresaid novice is now a skilful seer, as appears from many late instances. He lives in the parish of St Mary's, the most northern in Skye.

8. If a woman be seen standing at a man's left hand, it is a presage that she will be his wife, whether they are married to others or unmarried at the time of the apparition. If two or three women are seen at once standing near a man's left hand, she that is next him will undoubtedly be his wife first, and so on, whether all three, or the man, be single or married at the time of the vision, of which there are several late instances of the author's acquaintance. It is an ordinary thing for them to see a man that is to come to the house shortly after, and though he be not of NOTE.-That this account is differing from the the seer's acquaintance, yet he not only tells his account that is given by Mr Aubrey, a gentle-name, but gives such a lively description of his man of the Royal Society; and I think Mr Martin's reason here against the descent of this faculty from parents to children is not generally conclusive. For, though he may know parents endowed with it, and not children, and so vicê versa; yet there may be parents who are endowed with it, being qualified, as Mr Aubrey has said, (viz.-both being second-sighted, or even one to an extraordinary degree) whose children may have it by descent. And as to this faculty being any other way communicable, since the accounts differ, I must leave it to a further examination.

5. The seer knows neither the object, time, nor place of a vision before it appears, and the same object is often seen by different persons living at a considerable distance from one another. The true way of judging as to the time and circumstance of an object is by observation; for several persons of judgment without

stature, complexion, habit, &c., that upon his arrival he answers the character given of him in all respects. If the person so appearing be one of the seer's acquaintance, he can tell by his countenance whether he comes in good or bad humour. The author has been seen thus, by seers of both sexes, at some hundreds of miles distance. Some that saw him in this manner had never seen him personally, and it happened according to their visions, without any previous design of his to go to those places, his coming there being purely accidental; and in the nineteenth page of his book, he tells us that Mr Daniel Morrison, a minister, told him, that upon his landing in the island Rona, the natives received him very affectionately, and addressed themselves to him with this salutation—“ God save you, pilgrim! You are heartily welcome here, for we have had repeated apparitions o

He answers, the seers are generally illiterate and well-meaning people, and altogether void of design; nor could he ever learn that any of them made the least gain of it; neither is it reputable among them to have that faculty; besides, the people of the isles are not so credulous as to believe an impossibility before the thing foretold be accomplished; but when it actually comes to pass, afterwards it is not in their power to deny it without offering violence to their senses and 13. Children, horses, and cows, have the second reason; besides, if the seers were deceivers, sight, as well as men and women advanced in years. can it be reasonable to imagine that all the isThat children see it, it is plain from their cry-landers who have not the second sight should ing aloud at the very instant that a corpse or any other vision appears to an ordinary seer; of which he gives an instance in a child when himself was present.

by one or two in a corner or a remote isle, but it is seen by many persons of both sexes in several isles, separated about forty or fifty leagues from one another. The inhabitants of many of these isles never had the least converse by word or writing; and this faculty of seeing visions having continued, as we are informed by tradition, ever since the plantation of these isles, without being disproved by the nicest sceptic after the strictest inquiry, seems to be a clear proof of its reality.

It is observable that it was much more common twenty or thirty years ago than at present; for one in ten does not see it now that saw it then.

The second sight is not confined to the Western isles alone, the author having an account that it is in several parts of Holland, but particularly in Bommel, where a woman has it, for which she is courted by some and dreaded by others. She sees a smoke about one's face, which is the forerunner of the death of a person so seen, and she actually foretold the deaths of several that lived there. She was living in that town a few winters ago.

The second sight is likewise in the Isle of Man, as appears by this instance, Captain Leathes, the chief commander of Belfast, in his voyage, 1690, lost thirteen men by a violent storm, and upon his landing in the Isle of Man, an ancient man, clerk to a parish there, told him immediately that he had lost thirteen men there; the captain inquired how he came to the knowledge of that; he answered, that it was by thirteen lights which he had seen come into the churchyard, as Mr Sacheverel tells us in his late description of the Isle of Man. Note that this is like the sight of the corpse-candles in Wales, which is also well attested.

deliberate before he was to change his man,
since upon the disposing of it the winning or losing
of the game depended; at length the butler, who
stood behind, advised the player where to place
the man, with which he complied and won the
This being thought extraordinary, and
game.
Sir Norman hearing one whisper him in the ear,
asked who advised him so skilfully? He answered,
it was the butler, but this seemed more strange,
for it was generally thought he could not play at
tables. Upon this Sir Norinan asked him how long
it was since he had learned to play? And the
fellow owned that he had never played in his life,
but that he saw the spirit Brownie (a spirit
usually seen in that country) reaching his arm
over the player's head, and touching the part
with his finger where the tableman was to be
placed. This was told the author by Sir Nor-
man, and others who happened to be present at
the time.

Daniel Bow, alias Black, an inhabitant of Bornskittag, who is one of the precisest seers in the isles, foretold the death of a young woman in Minginis within less than twenty four hours before the time, and accordingly she died suddenly in the fields, though at the time of the prediction she was in perfect health, but the shroud appearing close about her head was the ground of his confidence that her death was at hand.

The same person foretold the death of a child in his master's arms by seeing a spark of fire fall on his left arm, and this was likewise accomplished soon after the prediction.

Some of the inhabitants of Harries sailing round the Isle of Skye with a design to go to the opposite mainland, were strangely surprised with an apparition of two men hanging down by the ropes that secured the mast, but could not con

Here the author adds many other instancesjecture what it meant; they pursued their concerning the second sight, of which I shall set down only a few.

voyage, but the wind turning contrary they were
forced into Broadford, in the Isle of Skye, where
they found Sir Donald Macdonald keeping a
Sheriff's Court, and two criminals receiving sen-
tence of death there. The ropes and mast of
that very boat were made use of to hang those
This was told the author by several
criminals.
who had this instance related to them by the
boat's crew.

A man in Knockow, in the parish of St Mary's, the northernmost part of Skye, being in perfect health, and sitting with his fellow servants at night, was on a sudden taken ill, dropped from his seat backward, and then fell a vomiting; at which the family was much concerned, he having never been subject to the like before; but he came to himself soon after, and had no sort of pain about him. One of the family, who was accustomed to see the second sight, told them that the man's illness proceeded from a very strange cause, which was thus:-An ill-natured woman (whom he named) who lives in the next adjacent village of Bornskittag, came before him in a very angry and furious manner, her countenance full of passion and her mouth full of reproaches, and threatened him with her head and hands till he fell over, as you have seen him. This woman had a fancy for the man, but was like to be disappointed as to her marrying of him. This instance was told the author by the master of the family, and others who were pre-him but in a vision, and he married the woman sent when it happened.

Sir Norman Maclead and some others playing at tables, at a game called in Irish falmermore, wherein there are three of a side, and each of them throw the dice by turns, there happened to be one difficult point in the disposing of one of the tablemen. This obliged the gamester to

Several persons living in a certain family told the author that they had frequently seen two men standing at a gentlewoman's left hand, who was their master's daughter; they told the men's names, and being her equals, it was not doubted but she would be married to one of them, and perhaps to the other after the death of the first. Some time after a third man appeared, who seemed always to stand nearest to her of the three, but the secrs did not know him, though they could describe him exactly; and within some months after, this man, who was seen last, actually came to the house, and fully answered the description given of him by those who never saw

shortly after. They live in the Isle of Skye, and both themselves and others confirmed the truth of this instance when the author saw them.

Archibald Macdonald, of the parish of St Mary's, in the Isle of Skye, being reputed famous in his skill of foretelling things to come by the second sight, happening to be in the village