XVIII.—The Ghost of Mrs. Breton.
Dr. Breton, late rector of Ludgate, at Deptford, lived formerly in Herefordshire, and married the daughter of Dr. Santer. This gentlewoman was a person of extraordinary piety, which she expressed, as in her life, so at her death. She had a maid that she had a great kindness for; who was married to a near neighbour, whose name, as I remember, was Alice. Not long after her death, as Alice was rocking her child in the evening, she was called from the craddle by one knocking at the door, which being opened, she was surprised at the sight of a gentlewoman, not to be distinguished from her late mistress, neither in person or in habit. She was in a morning gown, the same in appearance with that she had often seen her mistress wear. At first sight she expressed very great amazement, and said, “Were not my mistress dead, I should not question but you are she.” She replied, “I am the same that was your mistress;” and took her by the hand, which Alice affirmed was cold as stone.
She added, “That she had business of great importance to employ her in, and that she must go immediately a little way with her.” Alice trembled and beseeched her to excuse her, and entreated her very importunately to go to her master, who must needs be more fit to be employed. She answered, “That he who was her husband, was not at all concerned; but yet she had a desire rather to make use of him, and in order thereunto had several times been in his chamber, but he was still asleep; nor had she power to do more than once uncover his feet towards the awakening of him.” And the doctor said, “That he did hear a walking in his chamber in the night, which till now, he could give no account of.” Alice next objected, “That her husband was gone a journey, and she had no one to look to her child; that it was very apt to cry vehemently, and she feared if it awakened before her return, it would cry itself to death, or do itself mischief.” The apparition replied, “The child shall sleep till you return.”
Alice seeing there was no avoiding it, sorely against her will, followed her over a stile into a large field, who then said to her, “Observe how much of this field I measure with my feet.” And when she had taken a good large and leisurely compass, she said, “All this belongs to the poor, it being gotten from them by wrongful means,” and charged her to go and tell her brother, whose it was at that time, that he should give it up to the poor again, forthwith, as he loved her and his deceased mother. This brother was not the person who did this unjust act, but his father. She added, “That she was the more concerned, because her name was made use of at some writing that related to this land.” Alice asked her, how she should satisfy her brother that this was no cheat or delusion of her fancy. She replied, “Tell him this secret which he knows, that only himself and I are privy to, and he will believe you.” Alice having promised to her to go on this errand, she proceeded to give her good advice, and entertained her all the rest of the night with heavenly and divine discourse. When the twilight appeared, they heard the noise of horse-bells, whereupon the apparition said, “Alice, I must be seen by none but yourself;” and so she disappeared.—Immediately Alice in all haste runs home, being thoughtful for her child, but found it, as the apparition had said, asleep as she left it. When she had dressed it, and committed it to the care of a neighbour, away she went to her master the doctor, who amused at the account she gave him, sent her to his brother-in-law. He at first hearing her story and message, laughed at it heartily. But she had no sooner told him the secret, but he changed his countenance, and told her, he would give the poor their own, and accordingly he did it, and they now enjoy it.—This with more circumstances, many times has been related by Dr. Breton himself, who was well known to be a person of great goodness and sincerity. He gave a large narrative of this apparition of his wife to two of my friends, saith my author. First, to one Mrs. Nedham, and afterwards, a little before his death, to Dr. Witchcot.