WHILE the king ftaid at Linlithgow, attending the gathering of his army, which was defeated at Floddon, being full of cares and perplexity, he went into the church of Saint Michael, to hear evening fong, as then it was called. While he was at devotion, an ancient man came in, his amber coloured hair hanging down about his fhoulders, his forehead high, and inclining to baldnefs, his garments of azure colour, fomewhat long, girded about with a towel, or table napkin, of a comely and very reverend afpect. Having enquired for the king, he intruded himself into the prefs, paffing through, till he came to him, with a clownish fimplicity, leaning over the canon's-feat, where the king fat. "Sir, (faid he) I am fent hither to entreat you to delay your expedition for this time, and procced no farther in your intended journey; for if you do, you fhall not profper in your enterprife, nor any of your followers. I am further charged to warn you, not to ufe the acquaintance, company or counfel of women, as you tender your honour, life, and eftate." After this warning he withdrew himself back again into the prefs. 'When fervice was ended, the king enquired earnestly for him, but he could be no where found, neither could any of the bystanders (of whom divers did narrowly obferve him, refolving afterwards to have difcourfed with him) feel or perceive how, when or where he paffed from them, having in a manner vanished in their hands.

APPARITION.

THE fubject of ghofts having been introduced in a company where M.

Bofwell, Dr. Goldsmith, and Dr. Johnson were prefent, the latter repeated, that a friend of his had pofitively affured him that he had feen an apparition. To strengthen this, Goldfmith faid, he had been affured by his brother, the reverend Mr. Goldsmith, that he also had een one. General Oglethorpe, who was prefent, declared that Pendergraft, an officer in the Duke of Marlborough's army, had mentioned to many of his friends that he should die on a particular day. That upon that day a battle took place with the French; that after it was over, and Pendergraft was ftill alive, his brother officers, while they were yet in the field, jeftingly asked him where was his prophecy now. Pendergraft gravely answered, "I fhall die, notwithstanding what you fee." Soon afterwards, there came a fhot from a French battery, to which the orders for a ceflation of arms had not yet reached, and he was killed upon the spot. Colonel Cecil, who took poffeffion of his effects, found in his pocket-book the following folemn

APPARITION OF A CORPSE.

ABOUT the year 1611, there lived in Spitalfields, one Mrs. Anne Stephens, a perfon at that time well known and refpected, for her great dealings with the mercers on Ludgate-Hill. This perfon fitting one evening in her houfe alone, and mufing upon bufinefs, happened by accident to look behind her, when, to her great furprife, the faw, as it were, a dead corpfe, as fhe thought, laying extended upon the floor, just as a dead body should be, excepting that the foot of one leg was fixed on the ground, as it is in bed, when one lies with one knee up; fhe looked at it awhile, and by degrees withdrew her eyes from fo unpleafing an object: how ever, a ftrange kind of air of curiofity foon overcame her fears, and fhe ventured a fecond time to look that way, and faw it for a confiderable time longer fixed as before, but yet fhe durft not ftir from her feat. She again turned from the horrible and melancholy fpectacle, and refuming courage, after a little reflection, got up with a defign to ascertain herself of the reality of the vifion, by going nearer to it; but lo! it was vanished!

This extraordinary fight proved a very good admonition to her; for, taking it for a warning of her approaching diffolution, the, from that hour began to fettle her worldly affairs, and had juft time to fee them in a regular pofture, when he was taken ill of a pleurify, which carried her off in feven days.

THE APPEARANCE OF THE DUTCHESS

OF MAZARINE, MISTRESS TO KING

CHARLES II. TO MADAM DE BEAU-
CLAIR, MISTRESS TO KING JAMES

II.

(From the Female Spectator.) THE author of the following narrative, which was published fome years ago, folemnly declared he was perfectly convinced of the truth of it; as well as feveral other perfons of undoubted credit.

"Tis well known to moft people acquainted with the English hiftory, that

the celebrated Dutchefs of Mazarine was miftrefs to King Charles II. Mr. Waller particularly takes notice of her, as one of the favourites of that monarch.

Madam De Beauclair was a lady equally admired and beloved by his brother and fucceffor, James II. Between thefe two ladies there was an uncommon friendship, fuch as is rarely found in perfons bred up in courts; particularly thofe of the fame fex, and in the fame fituation.

But the fingularity of their circumftances might contribute a good deal towards it; they having both loft their royal lovers; the one by death, the other by abdication. They were both women of excellent understandings; had enjoyed all that the world could give them; and were arrived at an age, in which they might be fuppofed to defpife all its pomps and vanities. I fhall, without any further introduction, give the whole of the relation, in the author's own words; who declared himfelf to be an eye-witnefs of

the truth of it.

"After the burning of Whitehall, thefe two ladies were allotted very handfome apartments in the Stable-yard, St. James's; but the face of public affairs being then wholly changed, and a new fet of courtiers, as well as rules of behaviour, come into vogue, they conversed almoft only with each other.

"About this time it was that Reason firft began to oppofe itfelf to Faith, or, at leaft, to be fet up againft it by fome, who had an ambition to be thought more penetrating than their neighbours. The doctrine foon fpread, and was too much talked on, not to be frequently a fubje&t of converfation for thefe two ladies; and though I cannot say that either of them were thoroughly convinced by it, yet the fpecious arguments made ufe of by perfons of high reputation for their learning, had fuch an effect on both, as to raife great doubts to them concerning the immateriality of the foul, and the certainty of its exiftense after death.

[To be concluded in our next.]