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303
The Book of Dreams and Ghosts
·
Andrew Lang
214
Trickery
from
without,
by
"the
cunning
men,"
is
an
explanation
which,
at
least,
provides
a
motive,
but
how
the
thing
could
be
managed
from
without
remains
a
mystery.
Sam
Wesley,
the
friend
of
Pope,
and
Atterbury,
and
Lord
Oxford,
not
unjustly
said:
"Wit,
I
fancy,
might
find
many
interpretations,
but
wisdom
none".
{220}
As
the
Wesley
tale
is
a
very
typical
instance
of
a
very
large
class,
our
study
of
it
may
exempt
us
from
printing
the
well-known
parallel
case
of
"The
Drummer
of
Tedworth".
Briefly,
the
house
of
Mr.
Mompesson,
near
Ludgarshal,
in
Wilts,
was
disturbed
in
the
usual
way,
for
at
least
two
years,
from
April,
1661,
to
April,
1663,
or
later.
The
noises,
and
copious
phenomena
of
moving
objects
apparently
untouched,
were
attributed
to
the
unholy
powers
of
a
wandering
drummer,
deprived
by
Mr.
Mompesson
of
his
drum.
A
grand
jury
presented
the
drummer
for
trial,
on
a
charge
of
witchcraft,
but
the
petty
jury
would
not
convict,
there
being
a
want
of
evidence
to
prove
threats,
malum
minatum,
by
the
drummer.
In
1662
the
Rev.
Joseph
Glanvil,
F.R.S.,
visited
the
house,
and,
in
the
bedroom
of
Mr.
Mompesson's
little
girls,
the
chief
sufferers,
heard
and
saw
much
the
same
phenomena
as
the
elder
Wesley
describes
in
his
own
nursery.
The
"little
modest
girls"
were
aged
about
seven
and
eight.
Charles
II.
sent
some
gentlemen
to
the
house
for
one
night,
when
nothing
occurred,
the
disturbances
being
intermittent.
Glanvil
published
his
narrative
at
the
time,
and
Mr.
Pepys
found
it
"not
very
convincing".
Glanvil,
in
consequence
of
his
book,
was
so
vexed
by
correspondents
"that
I
have
been
haunted
almost
as
bad
as
Mr.
Mompesson's
house".
A
report
that
imposture
had
been
discovered,
and
confessed
by
Mr.
Mompesson,
was
set
afloat,
by
John
Webster,
in
a
well-known
work,
and
may
still
be
found
in
modern
books.
Glanvil
denied
it
till
he
was
"quite
tired,"
and
Mompesson
gave
a
formal
denial
in
a
letter
dated
Tedworth,
8th
November,
1672.
He
also,
with
many
others,
swore
to
the
facts
on
oath,
in
court,
at
the
drummer's
trial.
{221}
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