Bible, which lay on a table, and turn over to a certain chapter and verse in the second book of Kings. The student did so, and read-" There is death in the pot."

On this the old man, with much apparent agitation, pointed to the great family pot boiling on the fire, declaring that the maid had cast a great quantity of arsenic into it, with intent to poison the whole family, to the end she might rob the house of the hundred guineas which she knew her master had lately taken for sheep and grain, which he had sold. Just as he was so saying, the maid came to the door, announcing her approach by the noise of the nails in her shoe heels. The old gentleman said to the student, "Remember my warning, and save the lives of the family!" and that instant disappeared.

The maid entered with a smiling countenance, emptied her pail, and returned to the well for a fresh supply. Meanwhile, young Lilly put some oatmeal into a wooden dish, skimmed the pot of the fat, and mixed it for what is called brose or croudy, and when the maid returned, he, with the boy, appeared busily employed in eating the mixture. "Come, Peggy," said the student, "here is enough left for you; are not you fond of croudy?" She smiled, took up the dish, and reaching a horn spoon, withdrew to the back room. The shepherd's dog followed her, unseen by the boy; and the poor animal, on the croudy being put down by the maid, fell a victim to his voracious appetite; for before the return of the family from church, it was enormously swelled, and expired in great agony.

The student enjoined the boy to remain quite passive for the present, meanwhile he attempted to show his ingenuity in resolving the cause of the canine catastrophe into insanity, in order to keep the girl in countenance, till a fit opportunity of discovering the plot should present itself.

Soon after, his father, mother, brothers, and sisters, with the other servants, returned from church, all hungering after the Word, and eager to sit down round the rustic board.

The table was instantly replenished with wooden bowls and trenchers, while a heap of barley bannocks graced the top. The kail or broth, infused with leaks or winter cabbages, was poured forth in plenty; and Peggy, with a prodigal hand, filled all the dishes with the homely dainties of Tiviotdale. The master began grace, and all hats and bonnets were instantly off. "O Lord," prayed the farmer, "we have been hearing Thy Word, from the mouth of Thy aged servant, Mr. Ramsay; we have been alarmed by the awful famine in Samaria, and of death being in the pot." Here the young scholar interrupted his father by exclaiming, "Yes, Sir, there is death

in the pot now here, as well as there was once in Israel ! Touch not; taste not; see the dog dead by the poisoned pot."

"What!" cried the farmer, "have you been raising the devil by your conjuration? Is this the effect of your study, Sir?" No, father," said the student, "I pretend to no such arts of magic or necromancy; but this day, as. the boy can testify, I had a solemn warning from one whom I take to be no demon, but a good angel. To him we all owe our lives. As to Peggy, according to his intimation, she has put poison into the pot, for the purpose of destroying the whole family, root and branch." Here the girl fell into a fit, from which being with some trouble recovered, she confessed the whole of her deadly design, and was suffered to withdraw from the family and her native country. She was soon after executed at Newcastleupon-Tyne, for the murder of her bastard child, again making ample confession of the above diabolical design.

Second Apparition to Mr. William Lilly.

About the beginning of the year 1750, the same young Lilly was one day reading the 20th chapter of the Revelation of John the Divine. Just as he was entering upon that part which describes the angel binding the devil a thousand years, after which he was to be loosed a little, a very venerable old personage appeared at his elbow; the young man fell on the floor, but quickly arose, and, in the name of the Lord, demanded who he was, and the nature of his business; "Shall I call thee Satan, the crooked serpent, the devil, Beelzebub, or Lucifer, son of the morning?"

Ghost. I am a messenger arisen from the dead, to see or to cause justice to be done to thee and thy father. I am the spirit of one of thy ancestors.

Lilly. Art thou the soul of my grandfather, who, amidst uncounted riches, perished for want of food?

Ghost. Thou art right. Money was my deity, and Mammon my master. I heaped up the gold of Ophir like Solomon, but possessed none of his wisdom to use it as the blessing of heaven.

Lilly. I have frequently heard my father mention you, as a sordid, avaricious, miserable man. How did you dispose of the immense riches which you are said to have accumulated by so much toil, drudgery, and self-mortification?

Ghost. It is, for the most part, hidden in a field, in the farm of your father, and I intend that you, his son, shall be the sole possessor of it, without suffering your father to know from

:

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HISTORY OF POWYS FADOG.

whence your riches originated. Do not you recognis face since the beginning of last year?

Lilly. Are you the old gentleman whose timous intellig saved the lives of all our family?

Ghost. I am; therefore, think not your father ill rewa already.

Lilly. How can I account to him for the immediate mulation of so much money as you seem to intimate? Ghost. Twenty thousand pounds, sterling money. Lilly. You seem even now, in your disembodied stat feel much emotion at the mention of much money.

Ghost. But now I cannot touch the money of mortals; could I quickly wing my unwearied way to the Bank of I land, or the mines of Mexico, and with gold give a sup glory to my native land. But I cannot stay; follow me to field, and I will point out the precise place where you to dig.

Here the apparition stalked forth around the barnyard, Lilly followed him, dreadless and undismayed, till he cam a field about three furlongs from his father's door, when ghost stood still on a certain spot, wheeled thrice round, vanished into air.

This proved to be the precise place where young Lilly his companions had often devoted to pastime, being a hol where stone had formerly been dug from. He lost but 1 time in consideration, for, having procured a pickaxe a spade, he employed a moonlight evening in search of the t sure, and actually discovered it. However, having made discovery, and not knowing how to apply it to immediate being but nineteen years old, and little acquainted with b ness, he found himself obliged to tell his mother of the venture, and she told her sister-in-law, and the whole busi came to the knowledge of the farmer himself, who sent his to the university of Edinburgh, and settled upon him a h some fortune; which, with the stipend and glebe, and manse which he enjoys in the establishment in Scotland, ever since rendered him respectable, and enabled him to form many acts of charity in that country, as many can te to this day.

The pots in which the money, consisting of large piece gold and silver, were deposited, are still in the possessio the parson, and have often been shown as curiosities hardl be equalled in the south of Scotland.

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ere is no truer maxim than that, in endeavouring to shun extreme, we are often apt to fall into another; this the Mr. Addison has observed in respect to religion; that, ndeavouring to avoid the cant and hypocrisy formerly too a practised, we have fallen into a habit of being quite med of any religion at all. This, too, has been the case. everything uncommon or more than ordinary, especially regard to spiritual matters. The fear of being imposed n, and the many idle stories we often hear, make us refuse give credit to anything of this sort, though ever so well ested, and though we have very sensible evidence of a eat and good end being answered thereby.

That God Almighty does sometimes make use of extraornary means, more particularly in the conversion of some nners, is too well attested by scripture, repeated experience, ad the testimony of the wisest and best of men, to admit of ay doubt; and, likewise, that he has made use of no method o often as that of visions of the night. Many are the proofs which might be brought from scripture of the truth of this, articularly that very striking and amazing instance, recorded n the book of Job, which the ingenious Mr. Harvey, in his Book of Meditations, lately published, justly says, "is a proof of the reality of them upon some very extraordinary emergencies, while it discountenances those legions of idle tales, which superstition has raised, and credulity received; since it teaches us, that when they come to pass, it is not upon any errand of frivolous consequences, but to convey intelligencies of the utmost moment, or to work impressions of the highest advantage". In the 4th chapter of Job, and the 12th verse, Eliphaz the Temanite, describes a vision of this nature, which had happened to himself.

Henry Webb, the subject of this relation, was born at Crewkerne, in Somersetshire, being the son of John and Mary Webb, both known for many years in that place, his father being deceased but fourteen months ago, and his mother still residing in or near that place. He had a common education given him, according to their abilities, and was, when young, put out apprentice to Mr. John Hooper, a cordwainer, in that place; but being wild and disobedient, he soon ran away from his master and parents, and going many miles distant, and falling into bad company, he soon became a reprobate liver, a common swearer, and Sabbath-breaker, having no thoughts of

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HISTORY OF POWYS FADOG.

whence your riches originated. Do not you recognise my face since the beginning of last year?

Lilly. Are you the old gentleman whose timous intelligence saved the lives of all our family?

Ghost. I am; therefore, think not your father ill rewarded already.

Lilly. How can I account to him for the immediate accumulation of so much money as you seem to intimate?

Ghost. Twenty thousand pounds, sterling money.

Lilly. You seem even now, in your disembodied state, to feel much emotion at the mention of much money.

Ghost. But now I cannot touch the money of mortals; else could I quickly wing my unwearied way to the Bank of England, or the mines of Mexico, and with gold give a superior glory to my native land. But I cannot stay; follow me to the field, and I will point out the precise place where you are to dig.

Here the apparition stalked forth around the barnyard, and Lilly followed him, dreadless and undismayed, till he came to a field about three furlongs from his father's door, when the ghost stood still on a certain spot, wheeled thrice round, and vanished into air.

This proved to be the precise place where young Lilly and his companions had often devoted to pastime, being a hollow, where stone had formerly been dug from. He lost but little time in consideration, for, having procured a pickaxe and a spade, he employed a moonlight evening in search of the treasure, and actually discovered it. However, having made the discovery, and not knowing how to apply it to immediate use, being but nineteen years old, and little acquainted with business, he found himself obliged to tell his mother of the adventure, and she told her sister-in-law, and the whole business came to the knowledge of the farmer himself, who sent his son to the university of Edinburgh, and settled upon him a handsome fortune; which, with the stipend and glebe, and the manse which he enjoys in the establishment in Scotland, has ever since rendered him respectable, and enabled him to perform many acts of charity in that country, as many can testify to this day.

The pots in which the money, consisting of large pieces of gold and silver, were deposited, are still in the possession of the parson, and have often been shown as curiosities hardly to be equalled in the south of Scotland.