Anthony Ettrick lay
there together one night out of curiosity, to be satisfied. They did
heare sometimes knockings; and if they said "Devill, knock so many
knocks"; so many knocks would be answered. But Mr. Ettrick sometimes
whispered the words, and there was then no returne: but he should have
spoke in Latin or French for the detection of this.
Another time Sir Christopher Wren lay there. He could see no strange
things, but sometimes he should heare a drumming, as one may drum with
one's hand upon wainscot; but he observed that this drumming was only
when a certain maid-servant was in the next room: the partitions of
the rooms are by borden-brasse, as wee call it. But all these remarked
that the Devill kept no very unseasonable houres: it seldome knock't
after 12 at night, or before 6 in the morning.
[In Hoare's Modern Wiltshire, (Hundred of Amesbury,) p. 92, is a
narrative, quoted from Glanvil, of the nocturnal disturbances in the
house of Mr. Mompesson at North Tidworth, Wilts, in the year 1661,
which excited considerable interest at the time, and led to the
publication of several pamphlets on the subject. The book by Mr.
Glanvil, referred to by Aubrey, is called "A blow at modern
Sadducism; or Philosophical considerations touching the being of
Witches and Witchcraft; with an account of the Demon of Tedworth."
Lond. 1666, 4to. There are other editions in folio and 8vo. in 1667
and 1668. Addison founded his comedy of "The Drummer, or the Haunted
House," on this occurrence.
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