years; and the author's information, relative to sorcerers, appears to be mainly derived from the inquisitor of Berne, named Peter, who had distinguished himself by his activity in the pursuit of witches and sorcerers, and had caused a great number of them to be burnt.

Nowhere is the connexion between sorcery and magic and the earlier mythology of the people more evident than in the history of witchcraft in Scotland-a country in which this mythology had preserved its sway over the popular imagination much longer than in the civilised south. Hence we find in that country, the wild character of many parts of which were peculiarly calculated to foster superstitions of this description, that they are found in nearly the same shape in the sixteenth century in which they had appeared in England in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Although, in Scotland, witchcraft had not been magnified and modified by the systematical proceedings of ecclesiastical inquisitors, and it presented itself, therefore, in a much less sophisticated form, still it made its appearance, as in other parts of Europe, in judiciary proceedings, as an instrument of political or personal animosity, and was used where other grounds of accusation were too weak to effect the objects of the accuser. In the latter half of the fifteenth century, the Earl of Mar, brother of James III., was accused of consulting with witches and sorcerers, in order to shorten the king's days, and he was bled to death in his own lodgings, without even being brought to a trial. Twelve witches, and three or four wizards, were subsequently burnt at Edinburgh, as his accomplices. In the century following, in 1532, a woman of rank and beauty, Janet Douglas, Lady Glammis, was charged with having caused the death of her first husband by sorcery, but escaped, to be tried and burnt, amid the general commiseration of her countrymen, for a similar crime, which she was said to have attempted against the person of James V., with a view to the restoration of the Douglas family, the object of James's special hatred. In these executions, Mr. Wright justly remarks, death was the punishment rather of the treason than of the sorcery; and the first simple case of the latter which is met with in the records of the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland is that of Agnes Mullikine, alias Bessie Boswell, of Dumfermline, who, in 1563, was "banished and exiled" for witchcraft-a mild sentence, which seldom occurs in subsequent times.

In Scotland, as for the most part also in England, it is to be remarked that the witches received their power, not from the evil one, but from the "fairy folk" with whom, at least until a late period, their connexion was more innocent, and was characterised by none of the disgusting particularities which distinguished the proceedings of their sisters on the continent. According to an old and popular ballad-as ancient, perhaps, as the fourteenth century-the celebrated Thomas of Ercildowne obtained his supposed skill in prophecy from his connexion with the queen of faery.

The search of treasures was one of the most usual occupations of the magicians of old. Thus, in 1574, we find Dr. Dee petitioning Lord Burghley to obtain for him from Queen Elizabeth a license of monopoly of treasure-digging in England. The frequent discoveries of Roman, or Saxon, or medieval deposits, in the course of accidental digging-then probably more common than at present-Mr. Wright points out as enough to whet the appetite of the needy or the miserly; and the belief

that the sepulchral barrow, or the long-deserted ruin, or even the wild and haunted glen, concealed treasures of gold and silver, has been carried down to our own days in a variety of local legends. Mr. Wright gives numerous instances in which it is evident that, whatever confidence the treasure-seekers may have placed in the magical part of their performances, they did not neglect to select appropriate situations, as tumuli, barrows, Roman burial-grounds, and ruins of various descriptions.

The English magicians, as Dr. Dee and his followers, although there is no exploit recorded of them which will bear comparison with what the celebrated Benvenuto Cellini relates himself to have been eye-witness of in the amphitheatre of the Colosseum, are still by no means among the least interesting personages in the general history of magic and witchcraft. Dr. Dee was more a victim to delusions and imposture than himself an impostor, but he left behind him few who were so honest as himself. Of these, one of the most remarkable was Simon Forman, who has a melancholy celebrity as connected with the crimes of the reign of James I., and who was succeeded by the still more remarkable characters William Lilly and Elias Ashmole. "The first half of the seventeenth century," says Mr. Wright, 66 was the age of the English magicians.”

Some of the instances given of witchcraft in England will be to many minds, however, rather repulsive than interesting. The case of the witches of Warboys, for example, betrays such gross and superstitious ignorance on the part of all concerned, embracing physicians, clergymen, and persons moving in the best society of the time, that common sense is positively revolted by the details; others, again-as the Lancashire witches and the Scotch witches-present features in which there is so much that is strange and poetically suggestive, that the narrative of their exploits rivets every chord of the heart. Still, it is certainly altogether a truly dark story, whether we turn over the pages with Mr. Wright, and smile at the adventures of Doctor Torralva-which one cannot help doing even when he is in the clutches of the Inquisition-or we sympathise with the Ursulines of Loudon, or pity a Louis Gaufridi and a Marechale d'Ancre; or, turning to our own country, we find revealed the wickedness of an Hopkins, the brainless aversions of a James, or the more reprehensible vindictiveness of Sir Mathew Hale and Chief Justice Holtt-men who should have known better-down to the doings of Satan in the New World (and where it is not impossible, the human mind evidently running in cycles, that his Satanic Majesty may yet manifest himself in as great force as he has ever been seen);-still it is the same thing—a mingled story of ignorance, superstition, priestcraft, and bigotry; or of private or ecclesiastical or political persecution and revenge. "As the agitation," says Mr. Wright, "which brought it into importance subsided, and it could no longer be made a useful instrument in political or religious warfare, sorcery became more trivial and ridiculous in its details, until it was even discarded by the vulgar."

395

SPECULATION.

BY DR. DELANY.

MR. PETER GREEN, the head of an old-established mercantile house, was engaged as usual in a careful study of the share-list. This was the first duty he performed on entering his counting-house in the morning, but upon this occasion his studies did not seem to afford much satisfaction. For several days stocks had been rapidly falling, and the speculative merchant saw with alarm that various railway schemes, in which he had invested a large amount of capital, would prove ruinous to him unless the market took a favourable turn, of which there was no immediate prospect. While anxiously considering whether he should sell a part of his stock at a great loss, or wait the chance of fortune, the door was opened, and his friend, Mr. Gatherall, a parliamentary agent for sundry bubble projects, entered, and was warmly received.

"You're just returned from London, I presume?" said Mr. Green, after the usual morning greetings. "I was very sorry to hear that the 'Great Ram and Bogside Junction' had been thrown out on the standing orders. I shall lose a few hundreds, for the expenses have been enormous. But is there no chance of the decision being overruled?”

"None whatever," replied Gatherall. "I fought hard with the opposition; but as our plans were shamefully incorrect, they won almost every disputed point. Fields and farm-steadings had been omitted by the surveyor, and, worse than all, there was an error of sixty feet clearly made out in our levels."

"I told you what was likely to be the result, when you employed that drunken fellow Flaff as your engineer."

“He's ruined now, at all events, for no one will employ him again, and I am resolved not to pay him for his surveys. However, we can discuss stocks at some other time. I wish to speak to you on as important a subject. Your brother Andrew died while I was in London, and you have taken possession, I understand, of his whole fortune."

"Certainly. He died intestate."

"It is of that," answered Gatherall, "I wish to speak at present; and perhaps it would be as well to go into your own room, as I don't want to be disturbed."

It may not be amiss, while these gentlemen are privately engaged, to furnish our readers with a little knowledge regarding their history and character.

Mr. Green was a complete man of business. He had no aspirations except in trade, few thoughts or cares out of the commercial world, and little enjoyment beyond what was derived from contemplating his gains. From a very humble position he had fought his way to wealth by dint of unwearied patience and industry in the collection of small gains, and through the use of means which would have shocked a strictly honourable mind. He never hesitated in overreaching a friend in business, or resorting to underhand practices in speculation; and thus, though at all times accounted perfectly honest, he was not esteemed by his acquaintance, or named for civic honours by his fellow-citizens.

Mr. Green had a daughter, named Rachel, a beautiful girl of nineteen

While yet a child she had lost her mother, and having no one in particular to guide her youth, for her father, beyond providing instructors, rarely interfered with her actions, she had early been taught to think and act for herself, and had, in consequence, grown up to womanhood with more strength of character and energy of mind than usually belong to her sex. However sordid in other matters, Mr. Green had spared no outlay in her education, or in the indulgence of her tastes. In all the accomplishments belonging to her rank she was perfect. She sung and played with exquisite feeling and skill; drew with accuracy and vigour; and spoke French and Italian with fluency. In her disposition there was a certain tinge of romance, assuredly not inherited from her father, which displayed itself in her love of poetry, of nature, and of all high and generous sentiments. To her father's petty wants and comforts she carefully attended. Though stern and unfeeling to others, he was kind to her, and loved her as much as his sordid nature would allow. Indeed, he was somewhat proud of her beauty and accomplishments, and could not but feel that she was the great attraction of his home-its sole grace and charm.

Mr. Gatherall commenced his career as a lawyer and had been very successful. In 1845 when folly was rampant, and every one eager to have a pluck at the public pigeons, he signalised himself in getting up various abortive railway schemes, for which he acted as solicitor to his own great profit, and the deep loss and chagrin of the duped and disappointed shareholders. He was an exceedingly clever man, possessing a large amount of superficial knowledge, and blessed with a wide circle of influential friends, who reposed great faith in his abilities. There were few who could surpass him in drawing a promising prospectus, or fighting through the details of a bad scheme before parliamentary committees, and fewer still who could show such a bold front when it went to wreck, and the conduct of the directors had to be vindicated.

The walls of his chambers were hung with county maps, upon which were drawn in every direction strong black, blue, and red lines, indicating the course of railways he had either before parliament or was projecting for the ensuing session. Setting at complete defiance the natural obstacles of a country, he had these lines running between certain places, along valleys, and over hills, where assuredly the gradients could not be described as "easy." It was of no use telling him that the country was wild and hilly, that workable gradients could not be got, and that there was no traffic to remunerate the shareholders. "It must do," Mr. Gatherall would exclaim, "for it's the only scheme left us to propose in that quarter." So out the prospectus would come, and thousands applied for shares. Such is a sample of a class of clever and unprin cipled men who, by adding stimulants to the popular frenzy, were much to blame for many of the evils which attended the railway mania of

1845-6.

Whatever was the nature of the long and close private conversation between Messrs. Green and Gatherall, it tended much to disturb the temper of the former. Throughout the forenoon he was restless and uneasy and evidently busied with thoughts of no pleasant kind. This was a state of temper by no means favourable to the projects of our hero, Bob Douglas, as he was familiarly styled, a gay dashing medical student, who in the course of the day presented himself at his uncle's counting

house in the hope of procuring some money, the only purpose, indeed, for which he ever called there.

Douglas was the only son of a sister of Mr. Green, and early left an orphan. His education, however, had been attended to, and his wants liberally supplied by his deceased uncle, from whom he once had high expectations. In truth, Bob had always been regarded as his heir, and on that account was encouraged in his addresses to his cousin, Rachel Green. The death of his kind uncle by a stroke of apoplexy destroyed Bob's brilliant hopes, for, dying intestate, Mr. Peter Green seized his fortune, and although he knew well what his brother's intentions were with respect to his nephew, he declined to fulfil them. The strong mutual attachment which Mr. Green had himself fostered between his daughter and him when heir-apparent to a large fortune, was now sternly discountenanced. Sometimes he was invited to dinner, and occasionally received a small sum of money with a great show of liberality.

"Well, sir," said Mr. Green, when he observed him, "what is it you want to-day-money, I suppose?"

"My dear uncle," answered Bob, in his most insinuating manner, "the fact is, I have been owing a small bill to a tradesman for some time, and as I am threatened with an action if I don't pay it immediately, I just took the liberty of calling to ask you for the amount."

"You might have saved yourself the trouble," answered Green; "I can't do anything for you at present. You are becoming extortionate, sir; why, it is not two months since I gave you ten pounds."

"But you know, uncle, I cannot study without means, and such a small sum as ten pounds goes a short way. Really, you must endeavour to do something, or it's all up with me.""

"How much do you want?" growled the uncle.

"Twenty pounds would do."

"Eh! what, twenty pounds! How the devil do you get so far in debt without means of repayment?"

"It's an old debt," said Bob; " and had my poor uncle Andrew lived, I would not have required to ask you to pay it; but, since you have succeeded to his fortune, you might spare something to a nephew he never allowed to want."

"Ay, ay, my brother was very foolish in that. You must not expect me to be so. Now hear, sir; although I won't advance you this twenty pounds to spend with your foolish associates, I shall make you an allowance of fifty pounds a year till studies are your finished. But remember this," said Mr. Green, sternly, "it shall be stopped at once if I ever find you in my house or see you speaking to my daughter. From every one I hear such shocking accounts of your behaviour, and of the bad company you keep, that you are no longer fit to enter a decent man's house. Now, begone, sir, and apply to your studies. I have nothing more to say, and you a good morning."

so wish

With a sinking heart Douglas left his uncle's counting-house as empty in pocket as when he entered it. His prospects were now black enough, for he found himself in debt, and fast getting out of credit. But what galled him most was to be denied admission to his uncle's house. It was evident now that his fond dream of a union with his cousin was not likely soon to be realised, if, indeed, it was not ended for ever. Still the heart of our medical student was too bold and sanguine to despond long, and,