"Two things I observed in this day's appearance, viz.: 1. that
a spaniel dog which followed ye company unregarded, did bark
and run away as ye Spectrum passed by, whence 'tis easy to
conclude yt it was not our fear or fancy wch made ye
apparition. 2. that ye motion of ye Spectrum was not gradatim,
or by steps and moveing ye feet, but a kind of glideing as
children upon ye ice, or a boat down a swift river, which
punctually answers ye descriptions ye antients gave of ye
motion of their Lemures.
"But to prceed: this ocular evidence clearly convinced, but
withall sharply affrighted ye old gent and his wife who knew ys
D. D. in her Lifetime,--were at her buryal, and now plainly saw
her features in this prsent apparition. I encouraged them as
wel as I could, but after this they went no more. However I was
resolved to prceed and use such Lawfull means as God hath
discovered and Learned men have successfully practiced in these
unvulgar cases.
"The next morning being Thursday I went out very early by
myself and walked for abt an hour's space in meditation and
prayer in ye field next adjoyning to ye Quartils. Soon after
five I stept over ye stile into ye disturbed field, and had not
gone above 30 or 40 paces before ye Ghost appeared at ye
further stile. I spake to it with a Loud voice in some such
sentences as ye way of these dealings directed me, whereupon it
approached, but slowly. When I came near it, it mov'd not. I
spake again and it answered in a voice neither very audible nor
intelligable. I was not in ye Least terrifyed, and therefore
persisted untill it spake again, and gave me satisfaction.
"But ye work could not be finished at this time; wherefore ye
same evening, an hour after sun-set, it met me again near ye
same place, and after a few words of each side it quietly
vanished, and neither doth appear since, nor ever will more to
any man's disturbance.
"N.B. The discourse in ye morning Lasted abt a quarter of an
hour.
"These things are true. I know them to be so with as much
certainty as eyes and ears can give me; and until I can be
perswaded that my senses do deceve me abt their proper objects
(and by that perswasion deprive myself of ye strongest
inducement to beleive ye Christian Religion) I must and will
assert that these things in this paper are true."
I omit the reflections made on this by the writer, who signs:
"September 4th, 1665, John Ruddle."
Every person and every place can be and has been identified by Mr.
Robins, to whose article I refer the reader, should he care to go over
the ground.[7]
NOTE.--Books on Launceston:--
ROBINS (A. F.), _Launceston, Past and Present_. Launceston,
1884.
PETER (R.), _The Histories of Launceston and Dunheved_.
Plymouth, 1885.
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