Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/283

Rh fists in the country, so he feared no human being. However, the disturbance never recurred after that night, not in any way, either by noises nor by removing the crockery, and many people could not be persuaded that father did not in some way or other exorcise the spirit by reading the Bible. Father always said there was nothing in what he read bearing upon spirits haunting houses, so far as he could understand, nor was there anything of the kind in what he wrote there that night.

A few years before the above-mentioned incident, or about 1842, the house of a relation of mine at Barmouth was haunted in a similar Avay by noises, as if all the crockery in the cupboards and on the shelves were breaking, and other noises in different places which could not be accounted for. This went on for many weeks. A well-known conjurer and exorcist was sent for, but he failed to put a stop to the disturbance, which got so bad at last that all the family—parents, children, and maids—left the house one night for refuge at the house of a relation who lived near. But as soon as they arrived there similar noises commenced in the corner cupboard of that house. Then, from mere bravado, the children said they would make as much noise as the spirit, so they got sticks and hammered the floors and doors and tables and tin kettles, etc., until the spirit-noise in the corner cupboard ceased, and for some time after. I was often told by them they made a regular Bedlam, merely from bravado to drown the noises of the "spirit". The "spirit", or whatever it was, never disturbed them after that night; they returned to their own house next morning, and never heard a repetition of the noises.

For many years before and after 1845 there lived an apothecary not beyond twelve miles from Machynlleth, who went to Machynlleth every market- and fair-day to meet his customers and patients. I shall not mention his name, nor where he lived, because some of his descendants are highly and deservedly respected I shall call him Mr. H. (Humbug). He became noted as one having power to exorcise evil spirits which caused disease to man and beast by witchcraft. I remember an old woman who had a chronic sore on the bridge of her nose, and I was told many times it was Mr. H. who caused it by his incantations to mark her and to check her, because she was a witch. Mr. H. was a deacon of the church to which he belonged. On one occasion he was severely called to account at a church-meeting for his dealings with evil spirits and witchcraft. He solemnly denied the charge, but he had to confess that many people came to him, believing he could conjure or exorcise evil spirits, and he found