i.) I have mentioned, which I shall detail here, as it may
have escaped the memory of some of your readers. A captain of a merchant
vessel was on a voyage to some port; having retired to rest, he was
disturbed in the night by a horrid dream, that his brother, an officer in
the navy was drowned. He awoke and perceived something dark lying at the
foot of the hammock, and on putting out his hand discovered it was a naval
uniform, wet. Some days after this his dream was confirmed by a letter
informing him of his brother's death by drowning.
At Oakhampton, in Devonshire, there are the remains of a beautiful castle
dismantled by Henry VIII. on the attainder of Henry Courtenay, which is
situated in a park, concerning which many traditions exist, one of which I
will give here as it was told by a native. A great many years ago, there
lived a lady at Oakhampton Castle, who was famous for her love of cruelty
and for unbounded ostentation. This lady was killed, and her ghost haunted
some house in Oakhampton much to the discomfiture of all the inhabitants
thereof. A conclave of "most grave and reverend signiors" was convoked, who
ordained that the disturbed spirit should every night pluck a blade of
grass till all should be gathered. And now, every night at the chilly hour
of midnight, the lady in a splendid coach with four skeleton horses, a
skeleton coachman, and skeleton footmen, is to be seen in the park obeying
the dictum of the Oakhampton worthies.
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