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SUPERNATURAL ILLUSIONS.

CHAPTER XXII.

"Ho! who's here!

If any thing that's civil, speak: if savage,

Take or lend."

CYMBELINE.

OF THE BANQUETS OF GHOSTS.

Those people who have ever thought about ghosts at all, have ever considered them a melancholy sort of race; who, having done with eating and drinking, and all the pleasures of

VOL. II

A

this sublunary world, haunt those scenes, which recal to their memory joys departed, never to return; or which, perhaps, have been rendered memorable as the scene of a cruel murder. Ghosts are looked upon as a race of dampers, being not only thus melancholy themselves, but the occasion of melancholy in others; having nothing earthly to do beyond sitting down on a cold tombstone full in the moonbeam, or some such similar employment.

When, therefore, we assure the reader that ghosts must eat and drink like other people, and that they are rather fond of a good spread and a handsome service of plate, we fear that it will require all the credit attached to our veracity to ensure belief on the part of the public; but we will give chapter and verse for it.

Speidelius, in speculo variarum observat., sub voce spirit. (in his Mirror of Various Observations, and under the head of ghosts,) No. XLVI, p. 439, et seq., mentions that, once upon a time, Albert, Baron of Zimbern, went to pay a visit to his prince, Frederic, Elector of Swabia, with whom he was a great favorite, and with

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