Thesaurus of Horror

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1817 edition. ... No. IV.--p. 62. GHOSTS, &c.--Although these supposed supernatural visitants, as before stated, have, in a great measure, subsided among the intelligent part of the community; yet, as a proof that they are not all laid in the red sea, in the general estimation, the Reader will only have to recollect, a few years back, the wonderful doings at Siockwell, ih. Surry! the whole of which transactions were published in a pamphlet, (and signed by most of the respectable inhabitants of that place as witnesses,) under the title of "The Wonders of Stochwell!" wherein a farce is stated to have been carried on, from house to house, for several days and nights together, which baffled all attempts to detect the imposture; sweeping away whole shelves of pewter-dishes and plates, earthenware, china, and glasses; some of which were stated to have jumped and danced about the floors without injury by the fall, yet afterwards fell to pieces of their own accord; punch-bowls, wine-glasses, tea-equipages, &c. were dashed about the room by an invisible hand; casks of ale turned topsy-turvy, and pails of water upset, bells rung, women screamed and went into fits, and the men turned pale, and the whole village was in a state of perfect alarm and uproar, worse than the time of " The Cock-Lane Ghost!" Yet all this rascally knavery is published with the most (not to say serious) but solemn gravity, and thorough persuasion of its spiritual reality! Nay, a similar farce was played within these four months, in the parish of Bermondsey; but the goblin, after breaking windows and other diabolic outrages, for a week or a fortnight together, and escaping the vigilance and sagacity of the police, was detected by a. rational unbeliever, to be an epileptic girl, whose infernal...