been a single society supper this spring, at which a bumper has not been dedicated to 66 OUR CHAMPION DR JARVIF." I remain your much obliged servant,

ANDREW FAIRSERVICE.

Dreepdaily, May 1818.

LETTER FROM A FRIEND OF MRS GRANT.

MR EDITOR,

THE attack on Mrs Grant's literary character in the Glasgow Chronicle, and the defence in your Magazine, are calculated to give a degree of painful publicity to the name of an individual who has for some time past withdrawn from public notice.

It may be satisfactory to her friends at a distance to know, that her personal character was no way implicated in this attack. It was merely a blundering attempt at discovery in the Terra Incognita of Literature. The Chronicler had first attacked the "Tales of my Landlord," in a most acrimonious criticism, and then, with all the certainty of self-conceit, assured the public that the lady in question had all the demerit of their imputed impiety and indecency.

Such charges that lady should never have thought of repelling, considering them as equally unfounded in themselves and inapplicable to her. Fearing, however, that entire silence might be considered as acquiescence, and disdaining, even from folly and ignorance, credit for a performance so greatly above her powers, she refuted the assertion in strong terms.

The Chronicle still continued the complimentary process of filling daily columns with specimens from Mrs Grant's writings, opposed to parallel columns from "The great unknown," to shew that there was a "river in Macedon, and a river in Monmouth, and, doubtless, salmon in both." Captain Fluellin, however, will be allowed by all good judges of geography and literature, to have produced a more happy and complete resemblance than the Chronicler. The reflections on her acknowledged writings are easily forgiven, and the friends of the object of all this criticism will be pleased to know, that it is only in the character

of an author that she has been the subject of the critic's animadversions.

To make this point clear is the intention of the friend who thus at once puts an end to the mystery implied in a defence which leaves the nature of the attack unexplained. A LADY. Edinburgh, 12th May 1818.

Note by the Editor.

The above was handed to us by a lady who is in habits of intimate friendship with the distinguished person, a wanton attack upon whose character gave rise to the statement which it has been her wish to explain. The delicate expressions under which she has veiled her indignation, cannot prevent our readers from perceiving what the nature of the assault on Mrs Grant's character really was. It is true, as our correspondent says, that the literary character alone of her friend was professedly the object of the Glasgow critic's animadversions. But those who have perused his tedious and vulgar paragraphs on the subject in question (which we ourselves have this day done for the first time), will have no difficulty in observing, that the blow aimed apparently at the authoress alone, was in fact insidiously intended to fall also upon the lady. We have neither leisure nor inclination to enter at present into the minutia of this deservedly obscure controversy. There are not many papers in Scotland which make any pretence to literary character at all. A few exceptions, and one or two happy ones, may be found. The Glasgow Chronicle is not one of these. It seems to be a paper conducted on principles not widely dif ferent from those of the lowest engines of the mob-party in London. It is a humble provincial imitation of the Statesman, proceeding upon the absurd mistake, that a small town, abounding in intelligence, where every body is known to every body, and every scandal is at once searched to the bottom, can possibly be a fit place for the same foolish misrepresentations, and the same malicious virulencies, which are found so well adapted to the endless crowds and tumults of an overgrown capital. Like those of its prototype, its criticisms are full of all manner of affectation, ignorance, and insolence. To be a good or great man in any department, is sufficient to draw upon your

head the abuse of these Plebeian wits. They may sell a few more copies of their journal than they would otherwise do, by means of their personalities. But we suppose, after all, their success is not great, as there are few places so devoid of all taste or feeling, as to swallow mere malevolence and vulgarity, unsweetened by the smallest admixture either of wit, humour, or sense. shall have an opportunity of returning to this subject at considerable length, in an Essay which we hope soon to lay before our readers, "On the History and Principles of the present Scottish Newspapers." EDITOR.

We

ON SOME POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS IN

WALES.

MR EDITOR,

THE popular superstitions of the Scotch Highlanders have been often and ably treated of,-and many are the singular and striking stories on record, illustrative of their imaginative character. In Wales, the popular superstitious creed cannot but be poetical, and probably similar, in many striking points, to that of Albyn. I am but little conversant with the history of the Welsh, and am unable to supply you with much authentic information on the subject of their popular superstitions; but now I venture to throw out a hint to the zealous natives of the Principality, that some detailed philosophical account of their ghosts, spirits, demons, fairies,;&c. could not but participate of deep and universal interest.

I lately laid my hands upon a curious enough little book, entitled, “A Relation of Apparitions of Spirits, in the County of Monmouth, and the Principality of Wales;" By the late Rev. Edmund Jones of the Tranch.The worthy Divine maintains, in a prefatory Vindication of his Treatise, "That they are chiefly women, and men of weak womanish understanding, who chiefly speak against the account of spirits and apparitions. some women it comes from a certain proud fineness, excessive delicacy, and a superfine disposition, which cannot bear to be disturbed with what is strange and disagreeable to a vain mind. But why should the daughters of mother Eve be so averse to hear of the adversary Satan, with whom she

In

first conversed, and whom she first believed, and was deceived by him?"..

With the Rev. Edmund Jones, a disbelief in ghosts is equivalent to a disbelief of immortality, and all incredulous persons are by him uniformly called Sadducees. He has collected a great number of well-authenticated ghost-stories to overwhelm the Sadducees with confusion, more particularly those who are such thorough-paced infidels as to despise, not only corpsecandles and Kyhirraeths, but itinerant preachers and baptist meetings. Yet I suspect, that in his work, silly, and absurd, and ill arranged as it is, we can discern the leading features of the Welsh superstitions. As Mr Jones' book is circulated only among the lower orders of his own countrymen ; as few copies of it have ever penetrated into England, and probably none at all into Scotland, I have thought that a few selections from a work so little known, may perhaps amuse many of your readers more than any original dissertations with which I could have favoured them. Perhaps, too, they may be the means of directing the attention of your more learned contributors to a new field of inquiry, alike interesting to the philosopher and the antiquarian, as to those who seek, in their reading, for nothing more than amusement, I have classed my extracts under different heads. In Mr Jones' book no attempt at any sort of arrangement is made. The fears with which his mind was agitated, were too powerful to leave him either power or wish to distinguish dogs of hell from fairies, or demons from witches.

I.-Witch Stories.

"At one time two gypsies came to the house of Lewis Thomas, son of Mr Thomas Lewis of Lanharan in Glamorganshire, when he was not at home, and seeing his wife by herself, began to be bold and very importunate for this and that which they wanted; but she having an aversion for those kind of people, commanded them to be gone, which they refused to do, till she took down a stick and threatening to beat them (being a strong courageous woman), at which the gypsies went away muttering and threatening revenge. night after, they heard like a bowl rolling above stairs, from the upper end of the chamber to the middle of the room-stopfoot of the stairs; upon which Lewis Thoping a while then rowling down to the mas said to his wife, I believe the old gypsey is come to give thee a visit." Next

Some

morning when she arose, she saw on the floor the print of a bare foot without a toe, dipped in soot! and gone from the foot of the stair toward the door! The next day when they went to churn, the cream soon began to froth as if it was turning to butter, but it did not, though they churned much; they at length poured it into a vessel, where, after it had stayed some time, came a thick slimy cream above, and underneath it was water coloured with a little milk. They boiled the cream, having a notion it would torment the witch, and they were no more disturbed that way."

About the end of the sixth century, there lived in the valley of Sirhowy, in this parish, David Ziles, an honest substantial freeholder; his house was often troubled by night with witches, who were very mischievous, destroying the milk, &c. In process of time, Hopkin David, a quaker, by trade a turner, came there to work: one night when he was there, those witches made a disturbance, which he supposed was moving his tools; he rose from bed and went down stairs, there he saw them like so many cats, and knowing what they were, spoke to them, and asked one, Who art thou, and what is thy name?' to which she answered, "Ellor-Sir-Gare,' (Carmarthenshire Elenor). He then asked another, Who art thou?' the answer was, Mawd Anghyvion,' (Unrighteous Mawd); and the other answered, 'Isbel Anonest,' (Unjust Jesebel); to which he answered, Unjust is thy work in medling with my tools.' He severely reproved and threatened them. As they betrayed themselves, and knew they were in danger of punishment, they did not trouble the house afterwards. This good the honest quaker did to an innocent honest family."

"Llanhyddel mountain was formerly much talked of, and still remembered concerning an apparition which led many people astray both by day and by night, upon this mountain. The apparition was the resemblance of a poor old woman, with an oblong four-cornered hat, ash-coloured clothes, her apron thrown across her shoulder, with a pot or wooden can in her hand, such as poor people carry to fetch milk with, always going before them, sometimes crying out wow UP. Whoever saw this apparition, whether by night or in a misty day, though well acquainted with the road, they would be sure to lose their way; for the road appeared quite different to what it really was; and so far sometimes the fascination was, that they thought they were going to their journey's end when they were really going the contrary way. Sometimes they heard her cry wow UP, when they did not see her. Sometimes, when they went out by night to fetch coal, water, &c. they would hear the cry very near them, and presently would hear it afar off, as if it was on the opposite mountain, in the parish of Aberystruth, and sometimes passing by their

ears.

The people have it by tradition, that

it was the spirit of one Juan White, who lived, time out of mind, in these parts, and was thought to be a witch; because the mountain was not haunted with her apparition until after her death. When people first lost their way, and saw her, they thought it was a real woman which knew the way; they were glad to see her, and endeavoured to overtake her to inquire about the way; but they could never overtake her, neither would she ever look back to see them; so that they never saw her face."

II.-Stories of Ghosts, Evil Spirits,
Demons, &c.

"John Jenkins, a poor man, who lived near Abertilery, hanged himself in an hayloft; his sister presently after perceived him hanging, she cried out with a loud voice; upon which Jeremiah James, who lived in Abertilery-house, looking towards the place where John Jenkins lived, saw the resemblance of a man coming from the hay-loft, and violently turning upwards and downwards topsy-turvy towards the river; which was a dreadful sight to a serious godly man, who saw the catastrophe, and was very impressing; for it could be no other but an evil spirit going with his prey, the self-murderer, to hell."

"The Parish of Mynydduslwyn.-Some years since, John, the son of Watkin Elias Jones, a substantial man of this parish, after his father's death, ploughing in a field, when the oxen rested, sent the lad which drove the oxen to fetch something which he wanted, and before the lad came back, he saw a cloud coming across the field towards him, which came to him, and shadowed the sun from him; and out of the cloud came a voice to him, which asked him, which of these three diseases he would chuse to die of,-the fever, the dropsy, or the consumption, for one of them he must chuse in order to his end. He said he would rather die of the consumption. He let the lad go home with the oxen, and finding himself inclined to sleep, he laid down and slept ; when he awoke he was indisposed, and fell by degrees into the consumption whereof he died; yet he lived more than a year after he had seen the apparition in the cloud, and heard the supernatural voice out of it. Some say that he saw the similitude of a venerable old man in the cloud speaking to him, and I believe it was so, and that it was the disembodied Spirit of some good man, likely one of his ancestors, and not an angel; for angels do not appear like old men, nor is it proper they should, because there is no decay in them as in men subject to mortality."

"Mary M. living near Crumlin Bridge, and standing on the Bridge one evening, heard a weak voice like a person in distress going up the river, saying, O Duw beth y wnaf fi? O Duw beth y wnaf fi ?-(0 God what shall I do? O God what shall I do?) At first she thought it a human voice of one

great man in the world, and above telling an untruth. The power of spirits, both good and bad, is very great, not having the weight of bodies to incumber and hinder their agility."

"W. L. M. told me, that going upon an errand by night, from the house of Jane Edmund of Abertilery, he heard like the voice of many persons speaking one to the other, at some distance from him; he again listened attentively, then he heard like the falling of a tree, which seemed to break other trees as it fell; he then heard a weak voice, like the voice of a person in pain and misery, which frightened him much, and prevented him proceeding on his journey. Those were fairies which spoke in his hearing, and they doubtless spoke about his death, and imitated the moan which he made, when some time after he fell from off a tree, which proved his death. This account, previous to his death, he gave me himself. He was a man much alienated from the life of God, though surrounded with the means of knowledge and grace; but there was no cause to question the veracity of his relation."

"The Parish of Bedwellty.-From under the hand of the Rev. Mr Roger Rogers, born and bred in this parish, I have the following remarkable relation: A very remarkable and odd sight was seen in July 1760, acknowledged and confessed by several credible eye-witnesses of the same, i. e. by Lewis Thomas Jenkin's two daughters, virtuous and good young women (their father a good man and substantial freeholder), his manservant, his maid-servant, Elizabeth David, a neighbour and tenant of the said Lewis Thomas, and Edmund Roger, a neighbour; who were all making hay in a field called Y Weirglod Fawr Dafolog. The first sight they saw was the resemblance of an innumerable flock of sheep over a hill, called Cefen Rhychdir, opposite the place where the spectators stood, about a quarter of a mile distant from them. Soon after they saw them go up to a place called Cefen Rhychdir ucha, about half a mile distant from them, and then they went out of their sight, as if they vanished in the air. About half an hour before sunset they saw them all again; but all did not see them in the same manner; they saw them in different forms. Two of these persons saw them like sheep, some saw them like gray-hounds, some like swine, and some like naked infants: they appeared in the shade of the mountain between them and the sun. The first sight was as if they rose up out of the earth.This was a notable appearance of the fairies seen by credible witnesses. The sons of infidelity are very unreasonable not to believe the testimonies of so many witnesses of the being of spirits."

"E. T. travelling by night over Bedwellty mountain, towards the valley of Ebwy Fawr, where his house and estate were, within the parish of Aberystruth, saw the

Fairies on each side of him, some dancing. He also heard the sound of a bugle-horn, like persons hunting; he then began to be afraid; but recollecting his having heardthat if any person should happen to see any fairies, if they draw out their knife they will vanish directly; he did so, and he saw them no more. This the old gentleman seriously related to me. He was a sober man, and of such strict veracity, that I heard him confess a truth against himself, when he was like to suffer loss for an imprudent step; and though he was persuaded by some not to do it, yet he would persist in telling the truth, though it was to his own hurt."

"The Parish of Llanhyddel.-Rees John Rosser, born at Hen-dy in this parish, a very religious young man, on going very early in the morning to feed the oxen, at a barn called Ysgrybor y lann, and having fed the oxen, he lay himself upon the hay to rest. While he lay there he heard like the sound of music coming near the barn; presently a large company came in the barn with stripped clothes, some appearing more gay than others, and there danced at their music. He lay there as quiet as he could, thinking they would not see him, but in vain; for one of them, a woman, appearing better than the rest, brought him a stripped cushion with four tassels, one at each corner of it, to put under his head. After some time the cock crew at the house of Blaen y Coome hard by, upon which they appeared as if they were either surprised or displeased; the cushion was then hastily taken from under his head, and they went away."

"This young woman's grandfather, William Jenkins, for some time kept a school at Trefethin church, and coming home late in the evening, used to see the fairies under an oak, within two or three fields from the church, between that and Newynidd bridge. And one time he went to see the ground about the oak, and there was a reddish circle upon the grass, such as have been often seen under the female oak, called Brenhin-bren (King-tree), wherein they danced. He was more apt to see them on Friday evenings than any other day of the week. Some say, in this country, that Friday is apt to differ often from the rest of the week with respect to the weather. That when the rest of the days of the week are fair, Friday is apt to be rainy or cloudy; and when the weather foul, Friday is apt to be more fair. If there is any thing in it, I believe it must be with large and frequent exceptions, which yet may possibly consist with some measure of reality in the matter; but of this I am no judge, having neglected to make observation of the matter.'

"I am now going to relate one of the most extraordinary apparitions that ever was communicated to me, either by word of mouth or by letter, which I received from the hand of a pious young gentleman